In This Other Life
by RBnC
Summary: AU (Of my AU which isn't posted) in which Stiles is sent to another universe through...extenuating circumstances. He's more than determined to make this universe happier than the last one. Sterek, eventual Scisaac, Jackson/Lydia, and Boyd/Erika.
1. The Spell

In This Other Life

Stiles doesn't think he could stop pacing in Derek's flat for anything at that moment. He's covered in Scott's blood – and oh god there's so much of it – and he's tried peeling the dried parts off but all he wants is to take a shower and burn off the top twelve layers of his skin but Derek had told him there was no time for that. But honestly all Derek is doing is digging through a trunk full of old books as if there isn't some gruesome creature out there trying to kill them.

Normally, this is where Stiles would start chewing his cuticles to smithereens but he's really not into the taste of blood. He goes through a few aborted gestures before deciding that the only thing he can do is talk to keep himself occupied.

"My dad always told me that this life style was going to be the death of me. Guess he was right. I don't think he counted on it being the death of him. Or Scott. Or Lydia or Isaac. Or – or – or – Cora, oh god, Derek they're gone, they – they're dead, oh fuck, they're dead." Stiles can't stop his mouth from running and he isn't really paying attention as he looks down to see a little bit of vomit – from when Allison's stomach had finally given out at the sight of Lydia filleted open – left on his shoes.

He quickly reaches down and rips off his shoes before noticing the large gap where Boyd's claws had ripping into it in his haste to drag Stiles along to safety – right before being dragged off to be ripped in half himself –and he's quickly removing that as well. He feels his stomach churn as he sees the shirt he's wearing – one of his fathers' old band shirts – and he hates his life.

Suddenly, Derek is in front of him, crouching a bit so Stiles is forced to look at him. One arm is securely holding him up while the other is holding a singed and beaten violet book – tome, really – under the other.

"Stiles, calm down. I'm right here. Breathe." Stiles knows he hasn't stopped crying – doesn't even know when he started – but he nods anyways, taking deep breaths.

"We don't have a lot of time, that thing has to be close behind us." Derek tells him, turning away to shove the couch a table out of the way.

"Then why aren't we leaving?"

"Because," Derek turns around, thumbing through the book, "we're going to trap it."

"Trap it?"

"Yeah. It's a really strong spell that requires a lot of magic, so I…I didn't want you to use it unless you had too." Derek looks down and away from Stiles.

Stiles thinks that if that's the case, Derek must be beating himself up for everything, "Derek, this isn't your fault. We couldn't have known that my magic was gonna make it stronger."

Derek doesn't respond and Stiles runs his hands through his hair – momentarily forgetting about Scott's blood – when his fingers catch something. Stiles pulls it out and holds it up to look at it.

"Oh my god!" He drops it, "It that a molar?"

Derek bends down and tosses it aside, "Nevermind that. Stiles, we have to concentrate." He stands back up and hands the book – open – to Stiles.

Stiles glances at it, confused, to see it's all in ancient Latin.

"Derek, this is in Ancient Latin, I can read it but I don't know what I'm saying. That could fuck it all u-"

"You'll do fine. Make a circle of mountain ash around you and start the spell."

"Then get over here."

"No, Stiles. If it gets here before you're done casting I can buy you a little time."

"Derek, that's suicide! That thing took out Scott and Boyd like they were nothing! You can't – you don't stand a chance!"

"Stiles, do you trust me?"

Stiles stops short. His answer just half a year ago would have been no, that Derek wasn't someone he could trust. But now…now he knows that Derek would do anything for pack.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." Stiles makes the circle of mountain ash and rests the large book in his cradled arms. He starts reciting the spell, trying desperately to get the pronunciation right, like Lydia taught him.

He's almost done when there's a large crash just outside the large metal doors but Stiles doesn't stop. Even though he's so scared that that thing is going to kill Derek and leave Stiles completely alone in this universe. The brunet jumps when the door goes flying off its rails – nearly hitting Derek – and there in the doorway is the thing that's chasing them.

Stiles doesn't stop chanting when it opens its mouth and speaks as if it had gargled acid some time before, "I'm going to enjoy killing you, faery."

Stiles doesn't even stop when Derek wolfs out – and not even like he's used to, he full on transforms into his Alpha form – and snarls back, "You'll have to go through me first!"

It grins and replies, "With pleasure."

Stiles calls out the last line of the spell, hoping to every god he knows of that it'll work, and looks up just in time to see the creatures arm go through Derek's chest.

"Dere-" He starts but suddenly there's a hard tug in his own chest that nearly topples Stiles over. He feels like he's drowning and, honestly, he's not sure if he wants to fight it if he is.

He sees the creature roar in frustration as Stiles' magic gathers in his chest until there's too much and it all explodes from his ribcage, illuminating the entire room before everything goes black.


	2. Waking Up

When Stiles comes too, it's with a sense of vertigo so extreme that the brunet thinks he's going to throw up right then and there. Stiles sits up and grabs the bucket that he knows is there beside his little cot. The brunet heaves until there's nothing left to heave. When he's done, his head feels like it's going to explode into a million tiny pieces and yet at the same time it feels like every piece of him is slamming together, trying to mend itself.

Suddenly, he's getting images of his mother sitting with him in her lap at the beach, and he _knows_ they did that. The only problem is that _they never went to the beach_. Images of his childhood that have never happened are flashing before his minds eye as if they have an he's so confused and in so much pain he can't make any sense of it.

"Stiles, are you okay?" There's a hand on his shoulder and the pain in his head ebbs away as if Scott was taking from him.

Stiles jerks straight up, almost knocking the blonde woman comforting him over, "Scott!" He quickly looks around the room, recognizing it as Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.

"Shh, shh, it was just a dream, little prince."

Stiles looks up and feels like he's been sucker punched. He'd always had a hard time remembering what his mother looked like outside of picture but there she was, sitting next to him and trying to comfort him.

"I'm sure Melissa will bring Scott. Her shift starts in twenty minutes."

Stiles just stares for a few minutes before leaning forward and wrapping his arms around her neck. He thinks he's dreaming, or hallucinating, and he doesn't want to let this go. He has so few dreams about his mother that are peaceful.

"Are you feeling better?" She asks, rubbing his back.

Stiles nods, letting go when his mother pulls away.

"I kind of have to pee, though." He stands up, shocked to find he only reaches her chest.

Stiles helps his mother to her hospital bed, the one she wasn't supposed to get out of, before leaving to use the restroom. Somehow, he knows this section of the hospital even though his mother was two floor up when she was here.

The brunet quickly relieves himself before making his way back towards his mothers' room. His light, however, seems to have different ideas. It tells him to make his way down the hallway – in the opposite direction of Claudia's room – and isn't shocked to find an intersection with a nurse's desk.

He is shocked to see Derek Hale slouching in a waiting chair with a nervous look on his face. Stiles thinks to himself that he's ever seen Derek so young – so open and vulnerable. Stiles makes his way forward and takes the seat next to the werewolf.

'Did I just go back in time?' He asks himself.

"Hey." Derek looks at him like he's something new; like no one ever comes to talk to him out of the blue.

"Hi."

"Should you be here alone?"

"My mom's in the room just down the hall and I'm waiting for my friend." Stiles swings his feet – which aren't even touching the floor, dear lord he is so small again – back and forth to no particular beat.

"Why are you here?"

"My sister's getting her tonsils removed and I just have a bad feeling. It's silly."

"It's not silly. Anesthesiology-" Stiles has a hard time getting that one out, "is tricky. Some people react badly to it."

"That doesn't help me." Derek glares at him.

Stiles thinks that a record for pissing Derek off, even for him.

"At least it's just tonsils getting removed. At least she's not doing Chemo." Stiles thinks about his mom and how she's going to die soon.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He barely catches Derek whisper that.

"I wish your sister all the luck in the world." Stiles hops off his chair.

"I hope your mom makes it, too, kid." Derek leans forward – out of his slouch – and tussles Stiles' shaggy hair.

"Thanks." Stiles can't help it; he leans forward and hugs Derek.

He still smells like the woods and spring.

Before anything else happens, Stiles makes his way back to his mothers' room. When he opens the door, he sees Melissa checking up on his mom and Scott bouncing over to him.

"Stiles! Stiles! You'll never guess what happened at school today! Lydia asked where you were!"

"Oh. Okay." Stiles doesn't really find that information interesting, and he can't understand why Scott is this hyperactive.

Oh god was he like that normally? Was his mother going to notice that he wasn't acting like himself?

"What's wrong, Stiles?"

"I had a bad dream, it's nothing personal, Scott."

And he listens to Scott go on and on as they do their homework – Scott is amazed as Stiles zips through the ridiculously easy questions the seventh grade offers – and eventually Scott tires himself out. Stiles looks at his mother and finds that she, too, is unconscious.

Stiles curls up on his cot and closes his eyes for a bit, trying to figure out what's happened to him.

He remembers the spell Derek had him perform. He remembers watching Derek-. He remembers going to chuck-e-cheeses for his seventh birthday, even though he knows for his seventh birthday he and Scott went ice skating. He remembers the creature that ripped Scott open – he curls a bit tighter around his best friend – and murdered all of his other friends.

Out of nowhere, he remembers Derek – Sourwolf – telling him about how Talia had a Fay companion to help delegate with other supernatural people. He remembers his mother telling him in a dream that she'd accidently tethered herself to a friend whom she'd lost contact with years ago.

Stiles opens his eyes to find that three hours have passed.

The brunet slips Scott's arm off of him and quietly makes his way out of the room. He quickly pads his way up to the nurse's desk and smiles up at Melissa.

His mind provides images of her lying on the floor with her limbs broken at odd angles and her organs scattered around her.

"I wanna make a call."

"Is it to your father?"

"Mm." He lies effortlessly.

Melissa takes him to the nurses break room and hands him the hospital phone. Stiles thinks for a minute before dialing the operator.

"I'd like to place a call to the Hale household, please." He tells the operator when asked.

After a few questions, a woman answers the phone sounding concerned.

"Who is this?"

"You don't know me, but I know about you Mrs. Hale. If you care about her at all, you'll come to Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital Room 23C." He hangs up and only realizes belatedly that his message could be construed as a veiled threat and oh god he just threatened an Alpha on a hunch.

After mentally preparing himself, Stiles goes back to his mothers' room to find Scott and Claudia still asleep. Stiles takes his spot on the cot, closing his eyes and quickly falls asleep.

He wakes up to the sound of the room's door opening. He peaks up to see his father sticking his head in and Stiles thinks that he's never seen his father so happy and young.

"She's asleep, but you can come in. Melissa told me she's been sleeping for a few hours." His father tells someone behind him, opening the door wide.

Behind his father is a woman he's never actually met, but looks strikingly like Derek. His father makes his way over to Claudia's bedside, gently shaking her awake. Talia looks at him and Scott with curiosity before walking around his mothers' bed to stand on the other side.

His mother wakes up slowly – a stark contrast to before she became ill – and smiles when she sees John smiling down at her.

"Hey, love."

"Hi, John. Is it four o'clock already?"

"No, it's only midnight. I took the night off early to come see you. I'm glad. There's a woman here who says she's an old friend of your." John looks at Talia with a bit of uncertainty.

His mother looks over to the darker haired woman a bit confused before shock takes over her face.

"Talia?"

"Hello, Claudia." Talia smiles and Stiles knows where Cora got her smile from.

"What – what are you doing here?" His mother sits up in her bed, worry covering her expression.

"Calm down, nothing's wrong, per se. I got an anonymous call telling me to come here and see you. Well they didn't specify that it was you. I would have stayed away like you asked if I'd have known."

"No, it's…it's fine." Her mother looks surprised but happy.

"I'll give you girls some alone time while I go talk to Melissa, alright?" John kisses his wife's head before leaving to give them the privacy he talked about.

"So, you and John made it all this time?"

"Yeah. Fifteen years married. Can you believe it?"

Talia chuckles, "I'm sure your parents would be flabbergasted and scandalized."

Stiles watches as his mother laughs.

"And your children?" Talia looks over at Stiles and Scott with a smile on her face.

"Oh, no. Scott's not mine. My son is the one with Sheep Dog hair. That's Stiles." Claudia looks at Stiles and waves him over.

Stiles quickly moves Scott's arm – without waking him – and rushes over to his mothers' side, climbing up to sit by his mother.

"He looks a bit younger than I imagined." Talia smiles.

"I'll grow." He mutters, knowing she'll hear him either way.

Stiles sits, staring at his mother, as the two women converse easily. They talk like they saw each other yesterday and not at all like they haven't talked in years.

"Why haven't I met Talia?" He asks, out of the blue.

"Well, Talia has a very dangerous line of work and I helped her with it. I stopped seeing her to keep you safe."

Stiles pauses a moment for effect, as if he's mulling it over, "That's stupid."

"Darling, we don't use that word."

"Fine. That's idiotic." Stiles rolls his eyes, "Does Talia have a family?" He has to remind himself to not call her Mrs. Hale.

"Yes, I do. I have a rather large family."

"Are they in danger?"

"Well, yes, but -"

"Then why is it different for me?"

"Well…" His mother starts, thinking about it.

There's a few more moments of silence before Talia looks at Stiles mother with a horrified expression, "Claudia we just got outsmarted by a twelve year old."

"Oh my god, we did. How did I not – How did we not -"

"Dad always tells me I may be twelve but mentally I'm older."

Well, technically speaking, he_ is_ mentally older, but hey.

Just then, John knocks on the door, peaking inside.

"Just me." John walks into the room, looking a bit more sullen than he'd been when he left.

Melissa had probably told John that his wife wasn't responding to Chemo.

The deputy – Stiles remembers that his father gets promoted a couple months after his mother dies because he spends every waking second he can out of their house – walks over and hugs Stiles, kissing him on the head.

"I love you, dad." Stiles yawns as he leans on his dad, vowing to tell him that more now that he has a chance.

"I love you, too, Stiles. You should get some sleep, kiddo. It's way past your bed time." Stiles nods, climbing off the bed with a bit of difficulty.

He makes his way over to the little cot he and Scott are sharing and flops down on it. The brunet wraps Scotts arm around him like they used to do. He falls asleep to the sound of his parents and Talia talking quietly.

He dreams about his mother – about the conversations they'd had in that other universe – and wonders if she'd know he was gone. He dreams about Scott and Derek. His Scott and Derek and his pack of misfits who never belonged anywhere but with each other.

He wakes with a start – as if someone had splashed cold water onto him – to find everything in the room quiet. He looks around to find Scott still asleep beside him and his father asleep in the chair next to his mother's bed. Talia is gone and his mother is staring at a picture, glossy eyed. She's sitting there and Stiles has a feeling she's looking at a picture of herself with her husband and her child.

A child who isn't Stiles.

And it hits him like a ton of bricks: This isn't his mom. This isn't his family. The Scott lying down next to him isn't his. The energetic ball of brown fluff next to him never helped Stiles in all of his not-so-clever schemes. The man sitting in the chair next to his wife never complained about Stiles making him eat healthy. The woman in the hospital bed never died. She never helped him work out being fay. She never died with her hand clasped in his.

His heart rate picks up and the room starts spinning.

Her child is gone. He doesn't know what happened to her Stiles. Oh god, what if he'd killed him when he took over this body? His memories – the ones that aren't his, the ones that he knows didn't happen to him – make him think they merged somehow. How would this woman react to that?

Stiles gets off the cot and makes his way over to Claudia's bedside. His mother wipes away her tears and places the photograph down. He was right about the picture. It's of them at the beach. The one Stiles never went to.

He decides he has to tell her, if only to tell her that he's not her son.

"Can I tell you something?" Stiles asks, feeling nervous.

"What's wrong, Stiles?" She asks from her bed, looking worried, "Did you have another nightmare?"

Stiles shakes his head, "I love you. I love you so much and I don't wanna lose you." Stiles gets out, trying not to break and start crying.

"Oh." Claudia sighs, reaching out to Stiles, "I know you don't. And you've been so strong for me, my little prince."

Stiles climbs onto the bed – and man he can't wait for that late growth spurt – with a bit of difficulty before hugging not-his-mother. He thinks she already looks better than before.

"I love you. I love you so much, mom. I think about you all the time. I miss you so much. Dad does, too, but he doesn't say anything to me." He doesn't try to hold back his tears any more.

"Honey, I know you miss me at home and I'm sorry that I can't be there to -"

"No, you don't understand! You died. You died when I was twelve and I don't understand how, but you're here and I'm twelve and the doctor always said it was cancer, but – but – you talked to me in my dreams. You told me in my dreams and I don't know how you did it, but you did and you told me about your friend who you tethered yourself to on accident – and I know it was Talia, and I know I had no right to call her, but I can't lose you again – and – I know the reason you're dying is because you stopped helping her so I could live like a human for as long as possible, but I'd rather live as a fay with you than as a human without you -"

"Szczepan, calm down." Stiles stops talking and takes a huge breath of air, trying to get his tears under control.

"I'm not your son. I mean…I am, but this isn't my world!"

"Szczepan, look at me." Stiles looks at his not-mother's face smiling sadly at him.

"I am your mother. It doesn't matter where you came from, or what world you were born in. I will always be your mother, Stiles."

"What about _your_ son?"

"I'd like to think my son is out there somewhere." He looks at the picture in his mothers' lap and thinks about his odd memories.

"I remember weird things. Like I remember going to a beach with you and dad, but we never did that. Dad hated the beach. After you died, we never took a vacation. Said everything reminded him of you."

"That's something we did with our son. You are still my son, perhaps you …perhaps the two of you are in there, sharing the same space?" She pokes his forehead lightly.

"Maybe." He mutters, feeling his light radiate a bit.


	3. Confessions

Not even five days later, the doctor comes in to tell his mother that it took a while, but her body is getting better. Stiles pretends like he doesn't understand while his mother and father – a bit weird to think of them like that now that he's had his little revelation – nod along and agree with the doctor. His mother insists that she doesn't need the chemo anymore, despite the doctors' recommendations and his fathers' protests.

In the end she wins – she always does – and five days later they leave the hospital behind. The doctors can't explain it, but her illness has dissipated. His father noticed, though, and on the car ride home he suggests that she call up Talia and invite her to dinner. Stiles adamantly agrees – because he has more knowledge than his father on this subject – and Claudia concedes that she would enjoy seeing more of Talia.

So for the next few months Claudia spends her weekends up at the Hale house. She visits the doctors' once a month and they still cannot explain where her cancer went. She teaches Stiles how to cook and how to use his Fay powers, even though he'd gotten a pretty good grasp on that on his own. He's rather happy with his life in general.

But Scott can be rather bright when it comes to certain things. Stiles acting weird is one of those things. One day, Scott and Stiles are sitting outside their school waiting for Claudia to come pick them up when Scott brings up Stiles' behavior.

And Stiles can't lie to that face, not even after all his years of trying. So he tells Scott about the other universe, the one he's actually from, without all of the gruesome details. He tells Scott about werewolves and fay – and he has to secretly show Scott his powers which has Scotts eyes nearly popping out of his head – and about how he was one. He tells Scott all about their pack and about Derek and the spell. He tells him about all of the fears he'd had, all of his thoughts about everything, and even his suspicions that Derek tricked him into getting himself to safety but he has no way to prove it.

When his mother pulls up, Stiles just walks to the car with Scott in tow. Scott is surprised to find out that Claudia is fay as well, but he takes it in stride. He asks questions Stiles hadn't thought of and his mother answers all of them with a smile on her face. Later that night after Scotts gone home and the leftovers have been put in the fridge, Stiles asks his mom if she's upset that he told Scott.

She tells him that she wouldn't have expected him to lie, but he should know that he can't tell everyone about their kind. That's when Stiles realizes that he never told his mother all of the details about his other life. So he tells her that Scott was a werewolf in his universe and he trusted Scott with everything he was and could ever hope to be. That night, while John's working a double shift, they stay up and Stiles tells his mother about his other life and everything it entails. He keeps out a few facts, like the Hale house fire, and that Derek was the Alpha of their rag tag little group. He does end up telling her about their deaths though. Something he never got around to telling Scott.

She just holds him and tells him how strong he is and how proud she is to be able to call him her son.


	4. Stopping Kate

Stiles is thirteen and a half when he sees her.

Kate Argent is across the street from him and standing next to her is Derek Hale, smiling like that bitch couldn't kill his whole family. Stiles is walking home with Scott – because his mom had 'business to attend to' which was code for meeting with Talia to protect Beacon Hills – when he spots them together. Derek has to be seventeen, not even legal yet, and Kate has to be in her late twenties at least. Scott notices him staring at Derek and Kate.

"What's wrong, Stiles?"

"I need a favor."

"Anything."

"That lady over there – and I use that term loosely – is Kate Argent. I'm gonna go warn Derek, I need you to act impatient in like thirty seconds to get me out of there. Can you do that?"

"Of course." Scott looks so determined and man is he adorable.

Stiles smiles at his friend before crossing the street, trying to think of a feasible excuse to talk to Derek.

When he gets up to Derek, he reaches up and taps the larger man's shoulders. When Derek turns around he doesn't look angry or miffed or ever vaguely displeased. When he looks at Stiles he actually looks like he recognizes Stiles. He quickly remembers meeting Derek briefly in the hospital.

"Hi, I don't know if you remember me, but we met in the hospital a while back." He starts out, "I just…What you said, it…it really helped. People always gave me these looks like my mom was as good as dead, but you…you didn't do that, so I just wanted to say 'thank you'." Stiles smiles before hugging Derek and he knows it's really forward, but Derek just goes with it – and man is that a change – and hugs him back.

Stiles rests his forehead on Derek's shoulder and whispering, "You need to get away from Kate Argent. I know you have no reason to trust me, but she's a hunter and she's crazy. Get away from her as fast as you can." He pulls back, looking at a shocked, slightly horrified, Derek and a pissed looking Kate.

"Stiles! Come on! My mom's waiting!" Scott calls from across the street.

He smiles again, "Sorry for interrupting, I just…wanted to tell you that." He turns around and darts back across the street to Scott and the two of them start walking again.

Stiles looks back to see Derek making an excuse before crossing the street after him.

"Oh fuck!" Stiles whispers, quickly dragging Scott around a corner.

"Why is he following us?" Scott asks, freaked out.

"Because I kind of told him Kate was a hunter!" Stiles helps Scott over a fence.

"Why would you say that? You could have said that your dad's arrested her or she's crazy or something!" Scott questions as he drops down on the other side of the fence.

"Because I didn't have time to think." Stiles jumps down and grabs onto Scott's arms.

"Take a deep breath and hold it." The Fay instructs.

Scott follows his best friend's orders and closes his eyes to boot. Stiles quickly calls up all the light he can manage before picturing Scott's house – their original destination – in his head. He feels his powers pool in his chest before he pushes it outward.

When Stiles' light powers down, he and Scott are standing in Scott's room. It doesn't take long for Scott to go running to his bathroom and hurling his lunch into the toilet. Stiles follows his best friend, rubbing his back gently.

"Sorry, buddy. I know how much you hate teleporting."


	5. Dinner With the Hales

After warning Derek about Kate, Stiles lives an incredibly normal life. At seventeen, he's a junior in high school with a four point five eight GPA and no classes with Mr. Harris. He's got a standing acquaintanceship with Lydia and Danny – Jackson is a douche-nozzle in any universe – as well as a here and there acquaintanceship with Boyd, Erika, and Isaac. He's in advanced placement in all of his subjects as well as taking online college classes.

At home, his life is very mellow. Two nights a week he has dinner with his mom, two nights a week he has dinner with his dad, two nights a week he has dinner with both of his parents and Saturdays he eats at the McCall house so his parents can have a nice night to themselves. He has his own room still and Scott even has his own room in their home, even though he never uses it.

However, he knows his peaceful life is over the minute Mr. Harlow – his fifth period Theater teacher – assigns group projects and he ends up partnered with Cora. Cora bounds up to him after class, looking excited, and asks him if he'd prefer to do it at his house or hers. Stiles thinks it sounds like a proposition for sex rather than working on a project. He agrees that it would be fine to work on it at her house and texts his mother while he's T. for English 10.

'Cora and I have a project to do together. She invited me over, is that cool or should I re-plan? – Stiles'

After a few minutes of grading papers, she texts back.

'Talia says it's fine'

'Cool. Are you cool with it? - Stiles'

'I suppose.'

Stiles worries that she's secretly upset, but brushes it off when Mrs. Hoppler gives him the stink eye for texting.

After his final class, Stiles waits for Scott and Cora at the front entrance of the school. It doesn't take long for Scott to show up, but it takes Cora a while to say goodbye to her friends. She smiles at him sheepishly before tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"I texted my brother that you'd give me a ride. That's cool, right?"

"Yeah. I'm headed over to your place for this project anyway."

"Alright, cool." She looks down and blushes.

It takes Stiles a minute to realize she's shyly flirting with him.

Yeah, okay, no.

"You need a ride to Deaton's?" He asks Scott as he starts walking to his Jeep.

"Nah, I got my bike. Besides, it gets crowded with more than two." Scott waves and heads off to the bike racks.

Stiles leads Cora over to his baby and gets in. He pretends to be ignorant of where she lives and she guides him there. When they pull up, Stiles is a bit shocked to see how lovely the Hale house looks. He lets out a low whistle, getting his stuff out of the back.

Cora leads him inside and Talia is there waiting for him with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Stiles." She opens up her arms.

Stiles steps forward, hugging her and placing a kiss on her cheek, "Hi, Talia."

Stiles steps back and Talia motions toward the kitchen with her head, "Your mother's helping make dinner in the kitchen."

"Thanks." He drops his backpack by the door and makes his way into the kitchen. He leans on the living room side of the kitchen counter-bar and watches as his mom and Nathan – he's guessing from the descriptions he's gotten – joke about and prepare what looks like a thanksgiving day feast.

"Yo!" He calls before stepping forward and stealing a pinch of her chopped onions.

"Hey!" She calls, lightly smacking his hand away.

"Come on, I'm starving. The school has such crummy food, it's like they're _trying_ to make us starve."

"Then get an apple or something! I spent a lot of time chopping those."

Stiles just ignores his mother and opens the fridge and grabs an apple from the fruit drawer.

"I'll be with Cora, working on our project, 'kay?"

"Okay. Keep the door open."

"_Nothing's_ going to happen, chill." Stiles makes his way back into the entryway, past a confused looking Cora, and grabs his bag.

He looks to the youngest of Talia's children and motions up the stairs, "Lead the way."

He follows Cora up the stairs, staying to one side when Derek comes trotting down the stairs.

"Hey, Derek." He greets in passing, as if he knows this Derek personally.

He hears Derek's footsteps stop halfway down the steps before there's a creaking that tells Stiles that he's looking at Stiles' back.

He smiles as Cora opens the door to her room and leads him inside. Stiles keeps the door open like his mother asked and flops down on her bed.

"Alright, so do you have any idea what you want this screen play to be about?"

"Uh, something short and simple."

"Yeah, that tells me a lot."

"Uh…why don't you offer some ideas?"

And for the next three hours, Cora and Stiles argue about what to make their screenplay about. Eventually they decide on a variation of Little Red Riding Hood – it took everything Stiles had not to laugh when Cora suggested it – where Little Red _befriends_ the wolf.

They're getting towards the end of their little plot line when Talia calls everyone for dinner. After washing his hands, Stiles walks into the dining room to see the largest table he's ever seen in his life. The absurd amount of food is actually a normal sight, truth be told. His mother pats the chair next to her so he takes that seat.

"It smells delicious." He tells his mother and Nathan, who is sitting directly across from his mother and beside Talia.

"Thank you." Nathan smiles at him.

The table erupts into a series of 'how was your day?'s and before he knows it, Talia looks at him.

"So, Stiles. How have you been? I haven't seen you in years."

Stiles slowly chews and swallows his food, feeling like the lamb about to be sacrificed.

"I've been good. Uh. I'm still friends with Scott." He trails off, feeling awkward with every Hale looking at him.

"And how has your school life been?" She asks, cutting into her steak.

"Uh, good. I'm point five grade points behind Lydia Martin for valedictorian graduating year." He informs her, as if she knows who Lydia Martin is.

"That's great, Stiles. Are you in any sports?"

"Well, Lacrosse never really worked out for me, so I decided to give up on that. I've discovered that I'm a pretty good runner so I was thinking about signing up for Track and Field next year."

"That sounds like a good idea. Just don't take on too much. All of my children so far had a horrible time with their Senior Projects. Took up _all_ of their time." Talia suggests.

"You tried out for Lacrosse?" Cora asks him, sounding confused.

"Yeah, a while back." Technically not a lie, since he was on the lacrosse team for his entire high school career in his last 'life'.

"I never understood Lacrosse." Nathan mutters across from him.

"It's like field hockey, only the sticks have nets."

"Everyone at our school is crazy about the sport, but I think it's silly and barbaric." A girl from down the table informs them.

Stiles recognizes her and the boy next to her from the English class he TA's in. They must have had activities if Cora hadn't asked for him to give them a ride too.

"Back in my day, the sport was basketball."

"I've heard that somewhere before." Stiles laughs.

"So…I have to ask. Everyone is wondering and my wife just gives me that coy smile of hers when I ask." Nathan smiles across from him, "How do you know my wife and Claudia?"

Stiles stops with his fork in his mouth and stares at the brunet man next to Talia, who is indeed smiling coyly. The younger Fay looks up to his mother who is looking at him expectantly.

"Claudia's my mom."

It's kind of funny to see all of the different reaction.

Derek chokes on his drink, trying desperately not to spit all over his older sister who's sitting across from him. Laura is staring at the wall as if it's suddenly started talking German. Cora is looking at him like a deer caught in headlights. Peter has dropped his fork and his wife keeps tapping on his arm. The twins are staring at him in awe and Nathan is just nodding along dumbly.

Everything is silent and Stiles is kind of enjoying watching the Hale family sit in silence.

"You're not old enough to have a kid his age!" Derek points accusingly at Stiles.

Stiles doesn't know if he should take offense to that or not.

"Derek, he's her child. Trust me."

After that, everyone eats in silence for a bit before Stiles has to ask, "Okay, so I know most everyone here but I don't know everyone." He admits.

"Who don't you know?"

"I know Derek, Laura, Cora, Peter, the twins, Nathan and, of course, you." He looks at Talia.

"I'm Sarah." Peter's wife introduces herself, looking sheepish for being the only one unknown.

"And how do you know all of us?" Derek asks, looking at Stiles suspiciously.

"Well my mom is best friends with Talia and everyone knows Talia's married to Nathan. Peter's kind of notorious around school for his…'extracurricular activities'. You scare the ever-living out of me -" he points at Derek, which makes Laura snicker "Everyone knows to be nice at the diner on fifth cause Laura Hale will emasculate you verbally if you don't. I TA for the twins' English class at school and that just leaves, obviously, my mother."

"My brother – my youngest brother – and his partner are out with their child, so maybe you'll meet them if you come over again." Talia informs him.

"That sounds lovely, but I don't think I'll be doing this again."

"Why not?" Sarah asks from the other end of the table.

"I told you, Derek scares the ever-living out of me." He's not lying. He knows what Derek is capable of and he'd rather not encroach on the werewolf's territory and piss him off.

Or does that only work if he's an alpha?

After dinner, Talia stands up and motions to the table.

There's a long chorus of "Not it!" going around before Derek flops back in his chair cursing.

"Have fun with the big bad wolf, little red." Laura teases, pulling on his hood.

"That's not fair." Cora calls, "Stiles is a guest."

"Stiles will help Derek clean up." Claudia informs them, leaving the room with Talia.

Stiles doesn't pout as he stands up, gathering all of the plates and silverware. Everyone leaves them alone and wanders over to the living room except Cora who goes upstairs to finish their project.

"Why'd Laura call me little red?" Stiles asks, looking up at Derek.

Derek looks at him like he's an idiot.

"What?"

Derek stares at Stiles' chest before looking back up at his face.

Stiles looks down at his jacket and Frou Frou shirt.

His jacket is _red_.

"Well that's a bit ironic." The brunet mutters.

"What?" Derek asks.

"Nothing." Stiles takes his pile of dishes into the kitchen and starts running the water.

They finish cleaning up and Derek doesn't confront him about Kate so maybe he doesn't remember or maybe he just doesn't realize Stiles is the one who told him about her. Cora tells him that he's finished with their screenplay soon after that and Stiles drives him mother home.


	6. Talk in the Parking Lot

The next day at school sails by smoothly. The only difference is that the twins – Jessica and James – and Cora are all acting as if he's family and waving at him in the halls. It's a bit odd, especially when they try to sit with him and Scott at lunch. Even worse when they act like he's not going to fink on them when he catches them playing Pokémon in class while they're supposed to be taking notes on the lecture. Well he _would_ fink but he's too busy dying of laughter at the pure irony.

Which nets him detention, but it's totally worth it for the looks of embarrassment when the twins figure out – through his quiet wheezing – _why_ he was laughing so hard. So all in all, his life doesn't change as drastically as he thought it would.

Until that Thursday when he's walking up to his Jeep after staying behind to finish grading essays and is practically slammed into the driver's side door. Stiles is about to send his assailant flying when he remembers where he is and how many people could potentially see, despite the near hour delay of Stiles leaving the school.

His assailant whips him around to face them and Stiles is actually surprised to see Derek is his assailant.

"Derek. How nice to see you. What can I help you with?" Stiles asks, in a calm voice.

"You're going to answer a few questions, _Stiles_." Derek growls, his eyes flashing blue.

"Uh…A, stop flashing your eyes; you're in public you dunce. B, calm down, I'll tell you anything you want to know but only if you ask nicely. I know you weren't raised in a barn." Stiles reaches up and pulls Derek's hands off his jacket.

"For someone who claims to be so afraid of me, you're rather calm." Derek grins out, but his eyes return to their more human state.

"I lied."

"You can't lie to us. To me."

Stiles looks at Derek, pitying that this Derek doesn't know him all that well.

A while back, Stiles had learned how to use his powers to lie to Werewolves. Pretty easy, actually. All you had to do was regulate your breathing and heart rate.

"I'm a fuzzy purple dinosaur who stands seven feet tall and eats kittens for lunch." He tells Derek with a straight face, hoping he still has the skill as mastered in this body as he did in the other one.

He didn't really have a Werewolf to test it on until now.

Derek backs up, looking confused.

"Yeah, exactly." Stiles opens his driver side door and tosses in his back pack before closing the door and leaning against it.

"So what's so important that you had to ambush me in public?"

Derek looks uncomfortable.

Stiles just waits. He's really got nowhere to be except home and his dad won't be home until seven tonight.

"How'd you know about Kate? About her being a Hunter? And how'd you know about me for that matter?"

"I have a lot of history with Kate and I've known about your family being what they are for quite a long time."

"What do you mean History? And how do you know about my family?"

Okay, so Stiles hadn't thought this through as well as he should have.

"Alright, well there are certain thing I can't tell you. I can tell you that I know people who Kate has hurt irrevocably. She burned a house to the ground and killed everyone inside. There were humans in there and she had no problem with killing them."

"And how do you know my family?"

"That one's a bit more complicated." Stiles confesses. "I've known your family – well, known _about_ your family – since I was young. That's all I can give you for now."

Derek looks like he's about to protest, but Scott comes running over, yelling Stiles' name.

"Oh, good, you haven't left yet!" Scott comes to a stop in front of Stiles and Derek, leaning over to catch his breath.

"Oh. Hey, Derek." Scott waves, and Derek looks at Stiles accusingly.

"What?" Stiles whispers, defensively.

"Lacrosse got canceled because someone broke coach's windshield. I've got like two hours to spare, you think you could give me a ride to your place and we could hang?"

"Yeah, sure." Scott smiles and rounds the car before getting into the passenger seat.

Stiles turns to get into the driver's seat when Derek grabs his arm.

"Did you tell your friend about us?"

"What? No. Don't be ridiculous." Stiles pulls away and gets in the car.

He's got the car started and in reverse before her rolls down the window to look at Derek.

"I told him about me and Supernatural stuff in general and he pretty much guessed from there." He backs out of the spot before driving out of the parking lot.


	7. The First Sighting

"This is all your fault, Scott." Stiles complains, his feet aching.

"How is this my fault? You're the one who wanted me to go to this stupid party!" Scott throws his hands up in the air.

"You wanted to go! You said you wanted to go! And it's your fault because _you_ won't let me teleport us."

"I get sick when you do that and it drains you, so don't go blaming that all on me. Your mom said you should only use it for emergencies because you don't have a tether." Scott calls defensively.

"Well _excuse me_, princess. Not everyone can tether themselves to the first person they see."

"Look, I'm just saying that it would be stupid for you to teleport us. What if something bad happens? Then you're stuck with like half power. Not even."

"It does not drain me that much." Stiles pouts.

"I'm just glad we're headed back to Beacon Hills instead of continuing on to that party."

"Well my baby broke down, there's no way we'd be able to get back after words." Stiles pouts. He'd really been looking forward to that party, too.

"How about we have an AC play-through this weekend instead of the party?" Scott asks, trying to salvage their off time together.

"Yeah that sounds good to me."

Stiles groans, wishing they weren't so damn far from his Jeep or the city.

Or that he could get freakin' reception in these damn hills.

After hearing a noise in the woods to his left, Stiles stops walking. Scott continues for a few steps before stopping and turning around to look at his best friend.

"Stiles?"

Stiles brings a hand up to silence Scott. He doesn't hear anything against after that, so he takes a step towards Scott. Just then, a shadow burst from the trees and tackles Scott onto the sidewalk. Stiles reacts instantly, sending out his light to throw the large form off of Scott. It hits the thing directly, sending it crashing into the trees with more than necessary force.

"Scott?! Are you okay?" He calls, running over to his best friend.

Scott is curled up just off the road with his back to Stiles. He's running down the gentle slope and is almost by his friends' side when he's grabbed by the hood of his jacket. He's thrown off of his feet and he's disoriented for a second before righting himself in the air. Stiles lands on his feet in a crouch and turns around to see a large Wolf like creature with glowing red eyes looming over Scott.

Stiles' stomach drops and he's moving into action before he can fully come up with a plan. He just knows he has to get Scott out of here before it bites either of them.

He runs as fast as he can – which is pretty fast – towards the Werewolf. When he reaches it, he jumps, using his weight – and his powers, he might be cheating a bit – to send the thing sailing through the air and eventually a tree or two.

Deciding not to risk it, Stiles lays out a large ring of Mountain Ash around him and Scott. Once he's sure the ring is solid and the Alpha isn't going to get through the barrier, Stiles kneels down to check Scott, who looks like he's in a lot of pain.

"Scott! Scott, move your hands, you have to let me see." Scott shakes his head and Stiles notices how badly he's shaking and there are tears pouring down his face.

"Scott, come on, man you're scaring me." Stiles manages to pry Scott's hands away only to wish he hadn't.

Scott's abdomen is slashed open so badly that his skin there is nearly nonexistent and blood is seeping out of him and onto the floor. Stiles quickly tries to apply pressure, knowing it isn't going to do a damn thing. His only choice is to teleport them out of here, but the Mountain Ash messes his targeting up.

And then, of course, does he take him to the hospital or the Hale house?

Hospital, obviously. But how is he going to get him there by teleporting without bringing attention to the fact that he, you know, **_TELEPORTED_** them in.

Stiles knows Scott's going to bleed out on him if he doesn't react quickly, and he knows that he won't make it through Scott dying a second time.

Quickly making up his mind, he throws one of Scotts' arms around his shoulders and wraps his arms around Scott's stomach, remembering to keep pressure on the wound. Stiles stands them both up and he looks around for the Alpha that attacked them.

His first thought is Peter, but he's got no reason to attack Scott _and_ in this universe he's not an Alpha.

Stiles doesn't see it anywhere nearby, so he reaches out with his foot to rest by the circle of Mountain Ash. He pulls in his light, concentrating hard on himself and Scott who is still bleeding in his arms.

Stiles breaks the line of Mountain Ash and he's teleporting the two of them right outside Beacon Hills Hospital. He manages to land them in a camera's blind spot next to the main doors.

Using what little strength he has left, he lifts Scott – who is unconscious now – into his arms and runs into the ER yelling for help.

"SOMEONE, HELP!" He yells, catching the attention of three different nurses.

Stiles doesn't remember them calling for a gurney, but soon enough they're pulling Scott from his arms and placing him onto it. As they whisk Scott away, he's forcibly turned around to face a panicked looking Melissa.

"Stiles, are you okay?" Stiles nods, his hands moving to run through his hair, but Melissa catches them with her own.

"What happened?" She asks, looking down the hallway that the nurses had carted Scott off to.

Stiles stumbles over his words for a few seconds, remembering the Alpha.

"I have to go talk to my mom and Talia." He's glad he's not going to have to explain Werewolves and supernatural beings to Melissa. They'd had to explain that a long time ago, when Stiles was going through puberty – again – and he'd been practicing with his powers in the backyard when Melissa had caught him. She'd been really freaked out, but she hadn't outright rejected him. After a while and a bit of explaining, Melissa knew everything about Stiles – and a bit about supernatural beings in general – and his other life. He hadn't felt right revealing anyone else's status but she was smart and had made the connection to his mother and Talia in almost no time at all.

"Is he going to die?" Melissa asks, looking more scared than Stiles has ever seen her.

"It was a lot worse, but I think I got most the internal stuff. I got what I could, _I swear_, but I'm running on less than half power right now."

"I trust that you did, but Stiles…are _you_ okay?" She asks, tightening her grip on his wrists.

"Yeah, it didn't get me. Why?"

Melissa licks her lips, quickly glancing down.

"Stiles, sweetie, you need to come with me first." She nods as she speaks and starts leading him towards one of the nurse's staff rooms where they clean themselves up.

Melissa starts getting everything he'd need to clean himself up ready. He goes to take off his jacket when he sees it.

All of Scott's blood on his hands.

It's up to his elbows and parts of it are starting to dry and flake and Stiles' heart can't seem to decide if it wants to stop or jump out of his throat. He darts forward, throwing his arms under the too hot running water and he starts scrubbing viciously at his arms.

"No, no, no, please, god, not again, please, fuck -" He stops to quickly rip his jacket off before throwing his arms under the flowing water to try and get Scott's blood off of himself.

Another nurse comes inside and Melissa goes to talk to her.

Stiles can't breathe and he knows he's having a panic attack, but all he needs to do right now is get the sticky red liquid off of him. Like right now. Right this second. Oh god, it's not coming off.

He starts rocking back and forth where he's standing as he scrubs violently at his hands and arms.

Stiles doesn't know how long it takes him to get all of Scott's blood off of him, but he stands there scrubbing himself for an hour after that. He only stops when Melissa comes back, looking exhausted and scared.

Stiles turns off the water and shakily grabs the towel she'd put out before.

"They say he might not make it. The animal that attacked you nicked some of his internal organs and they've done what they could. Was it an animal, Stiles?"

"No."

"Was it a -"

"Yeah."

"Is there a chance that…that he'll turn and live through this?"

"I don't know. I tried to look at the wound but I freaked out when I saw all the blood." Stiles picks up his bloody jacket and sighs, wishing he had access to another one.

"Okay, then. I'm going to stay with him. Are you still going to talk to Talia and your mom?"

"Yeah. They need to know that there's a rogue Alpha in the area."

"I'll call you if anything changes. You still have your phone?"

Stiles reaches into his jeans and checks that his phone is still charged and working.

"Yeah. Uh…if he does wake up…tell him I'm sorry?"

"You can tell him yourself when he wakes up." Melissa smiles, trying to act confident.

Stiles nods and closes his eyes, trying to conjure up what little light he has left. After his last teleport from such a long distance and healing Scott – and his panic attack tiring him – he can't even summon enough light to get him to the front Lobby.

He opens his eyes to see Melissa holding up her keys, "You're the best, Mama McCall."

He'd taken to calling her that when referring to her in this world. She's like a second mother to him – in this world and the last – and he loves her so much.

He grabs the keys and quickly hugs her tightly. He starts to run away when he remembers about the police and he slides to a halt.

"What are we going to tell the police?" He rounds to Melissa.

"I'm not lying to your father, Stiles. We're telling him the truth, you and Scott were attacked and you brought him here. You were exhausted so I sent you home. He knows where to find you."

Stiles nods, glad that he doesn't have to outright lie to his father.

"Thanks again."

He rushes out of the hospital before rushing over to Melissa's car and driving as quickly – and legally – as he can to the Hale house where he knows his Mother is.


	8. Panic Attacks

As he drives he feels like he's going to vibrate out of his skin, despite that fact that he's just gotten down from a panic attack earlier. Or maybe he's still having it?

Stiles skids to a halt in front of the Hale house before throwing the driver's door open and racing up the driveway and through the door.

"Talia! Mom!" He contemplates knocking, but he knows it's an emergency so he throws the door open and rushes inside.

He realizes he probably shouldn't have thrown himself against the door that hard in case it had been locked. Good thing it wasn't.

The problem is: there appears to be no one home.

"Hello?" He calls out again.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you knock?" Stiles sees Derek walk down the stairs and groans.

"I need to talk to our moms. Where are they?"

"Not here."

"Obviously. I need to talk to them, Derek. Where are they?"

"Why do you need to talk to them?"

Stiles realizes that Derek is being annoying and evasive on purpose.

"I don't have time for your games, Derek. Where are they? I don' have the strength to track them or teleport."

"Tell me what happened and maybe I'll tell you where they are."

Stiles doesn't know what's wrong with him. Maybe it's all of the adrenalin still rushing through him, maybe it's his panic at the prospect of losing Scott, but he sends out his light and throws Derek across the room.

"Where's your mother, Derek?"

Derek sands up, snarling and wolfed out, but that just makes Stiles madder. The werewolf looks like he's about to retaliate when the front door opens and in walks and confused looking Talia and a very scared looking Claudia.

"Stiles! Are you okay?" His mother rushes forward and looks him over quickly before enveloping him in a hug.

"Oh god, you had me so worried. I felt you use your powers, what could have been _so_ important that you had to use your powers?"

Stiles is about to reply when Talia steps forward and snatches up Stiles' hands.

"Who?" Talia asks after sniffing them.

Claudia interrupts before he reply.

"Something's been running around, could it have been that?"

"I don't know." Talia murmurs, dropping Stiles' hands.

"That's what I'm here for; I was headed out of town with Scott and my Jeep broke down sowe started walking back to the gas station we'd seen awhile back because Icouldn't get receptionandsowe were walking and thisthingjust jumped fromtheshadows and it got Scott andhe's inthehospitaland theydon't know ifhe'sgoingtomakeit and Melissaletmedrivehercarhere cause Ineededtotalktoyou because I may haveimagined it but ithinkitwasanAlphabutI'mnotsure Isaw thebloodandIstartedpanicking and-" Stiles only realizes he's clawing at his arms when they start bleeding.

He struggles to get a breath of air into his lungs and he can't. His vision starts blurring and before he knows what's happening, he's got strong arms wrapped around him and soothing voice is instructing him to breathe in – that's it, just like that – and breathe out. The person gently lowers them to the floor and Stiles is clinging to them as he starts crying.

"I got him turned it's all my fault, how could I do that to him again? It's my fault, it's always my fault. He's going to die and it's all my fault again. Why can't I ever do anything right? Oh god, why?" Stiles sobs into their arms.

Stiles doesn't know how it happens or when, but soon he's falling asleep in a pair of comforting arms.


	9. Flashbacks and Nightmares

_"Scott!" Stiles screams in panic as the creature sinks its grotesque hand into his best friends' stomach and tosses him like a rag doll._

_He can't do anything to stop the thing from going after Scott – at least not without his light – and he can't just sit still. He quickly grabs Allison's gun from where it lies next to her cold body and turns to aim at the thing attacking his friend._

_He cries out at the sight that greets him. The creature – the hideous creature – is looking directly at Stiles at he pulls a fistful of Scotts organs out of his body and throws them off to the side. They don't go far as they're still attached to the brunet._

_Derek gets up from where he'd been thrown by the disgusting monster, carefully holding his side where the thing had nearly punched through his stomach. Derek's sees are still glowing and he looks like he'd be willing to fight to the death, but Stiles can't take it anymore._

_That's when Stiles hears police sirens crying in the distance, growing closer. The thing hears it too, and quickly makes a jump for Stiles. Stiles dives out of the way, but it's unnecessary as Derek tackles him midair._

_Stiles doesn't see how, but Derek manages to launch it into the air and away from them as a police cruiser breaks through the line in the trees. It's the Sheriff's car, but it's not his father's anymore. Deputy – Acting Sheriff – Parish quickly goes after the creature as it flees._

_Stiles runs over to Scott and powers slides to a stop next to him._

_"Scott? Scott, please, talk to me." Stiles goes to perform first aid, but what do you do when your best friends entrails are laying around in a jumbled mess?_

_"Stiles?" Scott gets out, weakly._

_"Scott, buddy, I'm here." Stiles wants to say it'll be okay, but it won't. There's no way he could heal this with both of their efforts combined._

_"I'm cold. How cliché is that?" Scott gets out a weak laugh._

_He wants to help, but there's nothing he can do. He can't even take away Scott's pain._

_He turns and calls for Derek before turning back to his friend that's bleeding on the ground. He's already covered in his other friends so he isn't squeamish anymore when he places his hand on Scott's abdomen. He doesn't know what he's doing, but he's trying everything he can think of when Derek comes back to the small clearing sans Acting Sheriff Parish._

_"Stiles, we have to leave. That thing could come back."_

_"I'm not leaving Scott."_

_"Stiles' you'll die, we have to go." Derek grabs Stiles' arm, but Stiles yanks his arm away._

_"If it comes back, I'll let it kill me."_

_"No." Scott gets out, sounding like he's in a world of pain._

_"Yes, I'm not leaving you, Scott. You're my brother, remember?"_

_"Stiles, please, it's not smart to stay here." Derek begs him, but he doesn't try to force Stiles to move._

_"No. I'm not leaving while Scott's still alive." Stiles gather's Scott into his arms and maneuvers him to where Scott is resting against Stiles' chest. The Fay places his arms around Scott and hugs the Beta, crying into his shoulder._

_"You need to go, Stiles." Scott cries with him._

_"I'm not leaving you, both of you quit saying that."_

_"I can't break down and cry if you're here, Stiles." Scott half-jokes and Stiles can't imagine how much pain he's in right now._

_Stiles watches as Derek grabs Scotts' hand, gently, with both of his and his veins blacken to indicate that he's taking Scott's pain. Scott tries to pull his hand free, but he can't._

_"How long am I gonna bleed out for?" Scott asks Derek._

_"I don't know." Derek winces, "A while." Stiles can tell Derek is putting himself in immense pain just to ease Scott's final moments._

_"Let go." Scot tries to pull his hand from Derek's grip again, but the Alpha holds tightly._

_"Let go, it's not helping enough for you to be in that much pain, Derek." Derek lets go, looking like he's going to throw up._

_"I never thought I'd ask for this, but one of you…please, please, kill me. It hurts, so much." Scott sobs and Stiles cries with him._

_Stiles knows Derek is barely going to handle Scott's death well, he can't let Derek think he was responsible for Scott's death in any way._

_"I don't want to ask, but it hurts so badly. I wish I was human just so I'd have died by now." Scott confesses._

_Stiles clenches his eyes shut and nods against Scott's shoulders._

_Scott reaches up with an incredibly shaky hand and Stiles grabs it. The golden eyed boy focuses on Scott's heart, which he could probably grab is wanted to at this point, and he slows the beating. Scott tightens his grip as much as he can and Stiles almost thinks he can't do it._

_"I love you, man."_

_"I love you, too." Stiles stops Scott's heart and breaks his neck, hoping that it's instantaneous enough so his friend doesn't hurt._

Stiles jerks upright, screaming Scott's name at the top of his lungs. He's jerking about, limbs flying everywhere, in a panic. Before he knows what's happening, strong arms are wrapping around his shoulders and chest. They pull him back against a solid, broad chest and a calm voice is telling him that everything is alright now.

He screams again, sobs ripping from his lungs and he holds tightly to the arms around him.

"Stiles, calm down, it's alright. You're alright." Like a rush of cold water, his fear and anxiety leaves, almost as if being leeched away from him.

He hears footsteps running into the room, from where Stiles is pretty sure the library is, and he turns to see Talia running into the room.

"What's wrong? Why is he screaming?" Talia asks, kneeling besides Stiles.

"He was having a nightmare. I think it induced a panic attack." Derek tells him mother from right behind him.

Derek, who has his arms securely around Stiles in a hold that shows he's taken classes. Derek, who is currently rocking him back and forth gently and holding him tightly. Derek, who had held him when his previous Panic Attack had struck him.

Stiles remembers what that panic attack was about.

He goes to sit up, but Derek keeps him in place, "Scott! I have to go see Scott."

Talia places her hand on Stiles' arm in a show of comfort, "Your mother took Melissa's car back to the hospital. She's there now, checking on your friend. She wanted to let you get some rest because she knows how much you worry about your friend."

"But -"

"No buts. You're going to stay here until your mother calls or comes back to get you. Do you understand?" She asks him, using a voice that Stiles recognizes as an Alpha command.

"Yes, ma'am." He slumps against Derek, who still has his left arm around him and is rubbing circles on Stiles' right shoulder with his thumb.

"Alright. Well, I'll be in the Library if you need me." Talia stands up and Stiles feels really small next to Derek.

The black haired werewolf is sitting on the right end of the couch with Stiles resting against him. The werewolf is leaning back, reading a book that Stiles' can't see the title of, with his feet propped up against the coffee table. The Fay is lying with his back against Derek side with his own feet resting on the left arm of the couch and his hands still gripping the arm around him.

When he hears the library door click closed, he murmurs to Derek, "I'm sorry for throwing you."

"It's alright." Derek sounds kind, forgiving. Something the Derek that Stiles' knew would never have been. Sourwolf would have looked down on him or _at least_ given him hell about it.

"No, it's not."

"You were worried about your friend. You were probably already having that panic attack." Derek doesn't look up from his book.

"Doesn't excuse me of throwing you across the room." Stiles mutters into Derek's arm.

"I probably should have explained why I needed to know better. My mom had given me specific instruction. Unless it was an emergency, I wasn't to call her for anything. And my mother constitutes emergency as missing a limb or a dead person."

"I see." He did, he really did. Der – er, _Sourwolf_ – had the same policy. If he said only call for an emergency, he _meant_ emergency.

"Your friend will be alright. Maybe the bite took and he'll live as a werewolf."

_'That's what I'm afraid of.'_ Stiles thinks.

Stiles feels a pang of guilt. This will be the second time Scott's been turned because of him.

"Shh, it'll be okay." Derek's other hand leaves the book to start petting his hair and Stiles melts into the touch.

"How are you doing that? I know werewolves can take away physical pain, but I've never hear of them taking away other pain."

"It's harder to do. Laura was actually the first one to figure out how to do it. My mom can't do it. It makes her really mad, but she's proud of Laura anyway."

"How'd Laura figure out how to do it?"

"Back when I was in high school, something bad happened and I blamed myself. I woke up one night and I couldn't breathe and Laura came running in and she spent an hour trying to get close to me. The minute she touched me it was like all my anxiety just vanished."

"Something bad?" Stiles murmurs, turning to look at Derek.

They're shining blue and Derek looks like he might start crying.

"You mean Paige dying."

Derek looks at him startled and confused.

"How – never mind. You seem to know just about everything about this family."

"Not everything."

"Obviously." Derek smirks, going to pull his arms from around Stiles.

Stiles grabs Derek's arm quickly, holding it place around his shoulders. The Fay turns away from Derek's confused look and back to the wall.

"I…I'm gonna go visit Scott soon, no matter what our parents say, but…" He trails off, "Scott's my only friend. He's my brother and I love him. I just…I need -"

"Alright." Derek leans back behind him and goes back to reading his book. Stiles relaxes into the one armed embrace and smiles.

He kind of likes this Derek.


	10. Seeing Scott

Stiles waits forty five minutes – forty five **_whole_** minutes – before deciding that he can't wait any more. He moves Derek's arms – practically throws it of him – and starts pacing.

"I can't wait anymore."

"Yes, you can." Derek tells him, his voice monotone.

"No, I can't. I'm about to vibrate out of my skin, Derek!" Derek looks up at him with a cocked eyebrow and a repressed grin.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. You are not allowed to have a dirty mind or a sense of humor."

Derek turns back to his book, "I didn't say anything, Stiles."

Stiles is going to say something about that, but he changes his mind, instead saying, "I can't wait here anymore."

"There are no cars here, Stiles. Are you going to walk to the Hospital?"

"No. I'll teleport." Stiles starts pacing.

Derek looks up from his book and at Stiles with a completely straight face.

"You can teleport?"

"Yeah, of course. Did you think two thirteen year olds actually threw off a werewolf? Come on, Derek. Keep up."

"I knew you cheated somehow."

"It wasn't cheating."

"You teleported! I didn't know you could teleport!"

"Stiles can teleport?" Talia asks, walking into the room.

"Of course. Can't mom?" Stiles asks, confused, and starts fiddling with his hands.

Talia shakes her head.

"Huh. Weird. Well I didn't learn like she did, I guess that would explain why we have different powers and capabilities."

"She didn't teach you like she was taught?" Derek asks.

Stiles quickly scratches at the bridge of his nose before running his hands through his hair.

"No, she was taught in Avalon, _way_ before she came to Earth." Stiles stops and looks at both of their shocked expression.

"You didn't…know? About…Avalon?"

Talia and Derek shake their heads in sync.

"I feel bad now."

"Claudia answers all of our questions but we make a point not to pry into her life and culture."

Stiles blows air out of his mouth, mimicking a motor.

"So, did you guys know we're Fay?"

"We knew you were something that could generate its own magic. I didn't really care. You could be a demon for all I care as long as you don't harm innocent people."

"That sounds like you." Stiles starts swinging his arms back and forth, making his left fist collide with his right palm in a light _smack_ sound.

"Are you alright, Stiles?" Derek asks.

"Hm? Oh, the activity. Yeah, no. I'm fine. It's just, uh, ADHD and I don't have a tether so I'm really kind of all over the place if I don't take my Adderall and I think that's still in my Jeep which is way out between here and another town cause you know me and Scott – Scott and me – Scott and I? – Scott and I were going to this party when it broke down and yeah you remember that story."

Derek and Talia stare at him with surprised expression and Stiles knows he's a bit much to handle like this.

"Ahh! I can't take it! I'm going to the Hospital!"

"You can't! People will see you!"

"I got there via teleportation before, it's not that hard, there's this wonderful little blind spot near the front entrance and no one can see it from the parking area."

"Stiles, Claudia said you should stay here." Talia tells him.

"What if I went with him?" Derek looks at his mother.

"Why would that change anything?"

"Claudia wanted you to stay here so we could keep an eye on you. If I go with you, _I'll_ be there to keep an eye on you."

Talia looks hesitant, but nods.

"Alright. But don't stay long and if Claudia gets mad, you two snuck out and I will leave you to drown in your punishment."

"You're scared of my mom?"

"That woman cooks my food most nights. I'm afraid she'll stop and Nathan will nag me to help again."

Talia smiles, so Stiles thinks she's joking, but he can't be sure.

Instead he focuses on Derek – which is actually really easy for some reason – and spirit fingers to get him to stand up.

"Come on, come on, let's _goooooo_."

"Hold on." Derek places a book mark in his book – which is almost done, actually, he wasn't nearly that done forty five minutes ago, huh – and stands before making his way over to Stiles.

"How does this work?"

"Give me your hands, close your eyes and hold your breath."

Derek holds out his hands but his eyes remain open and he continues breathing, only he's exaggerating it now.

"Seriously. I once blinded a girl with my light once. It was horrible. Thank god it wasn't permanent."

"I'm fine, Stiles, just get it over with."

Stiles rolls his eyes before closing them and concentrating. He pulls all of his light inwards and concentrates on Derek and himself. Inhaling, Stiles pushes his light outwards and stumbles a bit when Derek's hands clench his a little too hard.

Stiles opens his eyes and snatches his hands away, rubbing them together gently.

"Ow! Did you have to break my fingers?" Stiles snaps, shaking his hands to try and get some feeling back into them.

He looks up to see Derek rubbing the heel of his hands into his eyes.

"Told you to close them." Stiles deadpans as he makes his way over to the door and heading through.

The nurse at the front desk – Patty, he thinks is her name – waves and smiles at Stiles before giving Derek a weird look as he follows him in.

Stiles asks her for Scott's room number and she hands it right over.

As they're making their way through the halls, Derek asks him, "Why did she just give you the room number?"

"Scott and I are best friends and we used to spent a lot of time here as kids. Scott's mom, Melissa, is head nurse now."

"I guess that explains why they know you so well. You sure you didn't just get injured a lot as a kid?"

"Well there was that one time Scott and I were horse playing and he broke his arm high diving off a rock into a lake." Stiles rambles, stopping in front of Scott's room.

Stiles tentatively opens Scott's room's door and peaks inside.

Inside sits Melissa, talking to Scot, who is sitting up in his medical bed.

The two McCall's look over when they hear the door creak – still no luck when it comes to doors apparently – and Scott's face lights up, "Stiles!"

Stiles walks inside, "Hey, Scott, how are you feeling?"

"Well, there's good now and bad news. They're kind of the same news, though. I'm doing great. Like, _really_ great." Scott sighs, lying back.

"Well. At least you're alive, right?" Stiles laughs, weakly.

"I guess." Scott sighs, poking at Stiles.

"Okay, before this conversation gets too revealing, who's he?" Melissa asks, pointing to the werewolf standing awkwardly in the doorway with his arms crossed and a very broody face.

"Oh, uh, Derek Hale, this is Melissa McCall, Miss McCall, this is Derek Hale. He's Talia's kid."

"And does he know about _you-know-what_?"

"He _is_ a _you-know-what_."

"He's a werewolf?" Melissa asks, incredulously.

"Obviously." Stiles mumbles.

"Stiles!" Derek calls, sounding horrified.

"What?!"

"You just out-ed me!"

"What? Was I supposed to lie? When she already knew? And not to mention Scott's more than likely turned and is gonna be a werewolf." He turns to Scott, "If you get fleas, I'm not giving you a bath."

"We do not get _fleas_, Stiles." Derek glares at him.

"Boys, stop." Melissa interrupts Stiles' rebuttal. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?" Derek asks.

"I mean, I can get the nurses to release Scott tomorrow morning but what happens after that?"

"We'd have to talk to my mother, but if Scott is bitten and he does turn then he'll more than likely have to come to our house to learn how to control the shift."

Melissa looks apprehensive, "But you're not going to hurt him, are you?"

"No, of course they won't. I promise, Melissa." Stiles smiles and places his hand on top of hers.

"I think you should be reassuring me about that, not my mom."

Stiles rolls his eyes but grabs Scott's hand, "You'll be fine; I won't let the big bad Alpha or her pack hurt you, Scott."

"And who's going to stop you from getting hurt?" Claudia asks from the doorway.

Derek and Stiles look at the blonde in sync.

"Hey, mom." Stiles smiles, trying to look innocent.

"I told you to stay put in the Hale house." Claudia doesn't budge.

"I – I was worried about Scott."

"And you helped him?" She turns to stare at Derek.

"I figured I'd keep an eye on him, you know…so he doesn't hurt himself." Derek stares at the floor by his feet.

Claudia stands there, looking incredibly formidable, before Melissa interrupts them, "Um, hi Claudia." She waves and Claudia smiles back, breaking her menacing streak.

"Hi, Melissa. How are the two of you holding up?"

"We're fine, I guess. Though, you know, a bit worried what all being a werewolf would imply."

"You get enhanced hearing, speed, strength, sense of smell, healing, you more than likely won't need that inhaler you're always lugging around, and you get a tight pack dynamic, which is like a family dynamic, I'm told."

"Not to mention the uncontrollable anger issues, the urgent need to shift on the full moon, you might pee on stuff you really shouldn't, and you could totally get fleas and I'm not giving you a bath."

"We don't get fleas!" Derek growls, but Stiles can see him resisting a smile.


	11. Making an Arrangement

Stiles doesn't know how it's come to this. Really. He'd given Scott a few rules to follow while learning to control his wolf from the Hales.

1) _Don't piss off the Alpha._ You may not be in her pack, but you're in her territory and that means; her house, her rules. She will beat you into submission if she has to.

2) _Try not to get frustrated._ If you get frustrated, you lose control and you can't afford that now.

3) _Don't piss off the Alpha._ Seriously, Scott. She will rip you a new one and Melissa gave her permission.

4) _Don't reveal anything about Stiles' past._ Well, that one was more for Stiles' benefit than Scott's but hey.

5) _DON'T PISS OFF THE ALPHA._ HOW HARD WAS THAT TO GET?!

But here he was, three weeks later, on a Saturday – which he's been spending trying to get Scott under control in his own way – in the Hale family driveway watching Talia yell at Scott. Stiles, personally, is sitting on the hood of his Jeep watching the train wreck happen and eating Red Vines.

"I don't understand why I can't go out with Stiles! I don't shift at school, I don't shift in public, and I don't lose control! We always hang out on Saturdays so why is it suddenly a problem?"

"Because you are not ready for this! Scott, I know you think you're infallible, but you aren't."

"That's not a reason!"

"I'm the Alpha! How's that for a reason?" Talia snaps, her eyes flashing red.

"You may be _AN_ alpha, but you're not _MY_ Alpha!"

"I took you in! I am teaching you everything you'll need, but none of it will work if you don't listen to me when I give you orders, Scott!"

"I've learned more from Stiles in the two weekends we've spent together than I have from you in three weeks!" Scott yells, frustrated.

Because Stiles couldn't have been lucky and had Scott be immune like Lydia had been. No, no, that's asking for too much. Unlucky in every universe, apparently.

And really, that's unfair to Talia. Stiles has been talking technical Werewolf jargon to Scott for five years now, he's simply putting it all into practice now that Scott's been turned.

Talia turns to glare at Stiles, who puts his hands up in surrender, "Don't bring me into this!" He chews on the end of his Red Vine, "He has a point though."

"You've been teaching him how to control his wolf? You? A Fay?"

"What does my race have to do with this?" Stiles asks, offended.

"You're not a werewolf! That's the point."

"Maybe it's because he knows Scott." Laura calls from the porch where most of Talia's children are watching the argument. Stiles' still hasn't met the fourth sibling, though.

Talia turns around and growls in warning, making Laura duck her head, "Just saying."

"She's got a point mom." Derek is the one to come to Laura's defense.

"You taught us so well because you know us inside and out. Maybe Stiles would be a better teacher or at least a good teaching aid."

Talia seems to still be boiling, but reluctantly takes the statement into consideration, "Perhaps they have a point. Still, you can't go out tonight, Scott, it's a full moon. You have to stay here where we can keep you in and away from people."

"She does have a point, Scott." Stiles chimes in.

Claudia, who has been listening from the door way, calls out, "So you both compromise. Stiles teaches Scott what he can and defers to you for anything he doesn't know. Scott stays here on full moons. Does that work for everyone?"

"I…I guess." Scott backs down and makes his way over to Stiles and sits on the ground in front of Stiles' feet with his back resting against the front of the Jeep.

"That's fine by me." Talia admits, looking as if compromise is difficult for her. Maybe it is, Stiles doesn't know much about Alpha's.

"On one condition. You need an _actual_ werewolf present. At _all times_ when you're training. Do you boys understand?"

"I agree. I wouldn't feel comfortable if it was just the two of you."

"What's the worst that cou-" Stiles hits Scott with his foot.

"_Dude_, you never say that, it always gets worse when you say that."

"Fine. It's okay with me."

"Same here." Stiles wiggles a Red Vine in front of Scott's face, which the shaggy haired werewolf immediately grabs.

He hadn't realized how much he'd missed Scott's constant nuzzling while he was growing up the second time. The little touches that Werewolves seemed to crave all the time. He leans his elbows on his knees and runs his hands through Scott's mop of hair much like he would a dog.

"Who's going to volunteer?" Talia looks at her children.

Laura just starts laughing, Cora turns a funny shade of crimson, and Derek looks like he swallowed a bug.

"I'm sure the twins would be willing." Derek shifts, uncomfortable, and turns to push Laura's foot out of his back.

"Oh, Derek, how nice of you to volunteer!" Claudia smiles before turning and making her way back into the house.

"Wha – I didn't! Mom!" Derek turns to his mother, looking scandalized.

"Thanks, Derek. You should make sure they're well fed by the time you come home, as well." Talia makes her way passed her children and inside.

"What!? Wha – mom, no. Come on, that's not fair!"

"It's settled, boys."

"And what if I had plans?"

Laura, who'd recently gotten her laughing fit under control, starts laughing again.

"I could have had plans!" Derek defends, looking offended beyond belief.

"I highly doubt it!" Cora teases, quickly darting out of Derek's hitting range.

Laura's laughing so hard now that her laughter is silent and her hands are imitating a seal.

"Shut up, Laura! Like you have _any_ room to talk! The only social life you have is your job and no one even likes you there!" Derek defends, sounding childish.

"I – I do, t-too!" Laura breathes out, crying in her laughter.

"And that's not why I'm laughing so hard, Der-Bear."

"Don't call me that!" Derek growls and tackles Laura, who squeals and tries to wiggle away from Derek's tickling fingers.

"Derek! St-Stop! P-please!" Laura laughs, but Derek just sits on her to keep her in place.

Talia rolls her eyes and looks at Stiles and Scott; who is almost comatose from his petting, "You boys are staying for dinner I take it?"

"Sure, I guess. I mean, I've got nowhere to be. Scott will have to call Melissa, though."

Talia walks up the porch, steps over her children, and goes inside.

Stiles' focus is drawn when he hears Derek scream – not unlike terror – and the brunet looks up to find that Cora has tackled him off of Laura and the two girls are now getting revenge.


	12. Like Mother Like Son

Stiles spends Scott's first full moon watching Disney movies with his parents on their large couch. It's something they haven't done in a while, considering how busy his dad always is and everything going on with the Hales.

They've just finished watching Frozen – his mother's face was priceless at the big reveal – when his fathers' cellphone rings. Stiles doesn't think much of it until his dad is rushing to get his jacket on and he's rushing out the door.

"John?" his mother calls, looking worried.

"There's been an incident."

"What kind of incident?"

"A man's been murdered and his son's gone missing."

"John, it's two a.m.! What can you get done at two a.m.?"

"I don't know, but I have to try!" Stiles' dad rushes over to kiss his wife and quickly hug Stiles in one of those lame one arm hugs.

Stiles listens to his father drive off in the cruiser before looking at his mother.

"Think this has anything to do with the rogue Alpha that bit Scott?"

His mother turns to Stiles with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "There's one way to find out."

And he'd always wondered where he'd gotten his conniving side from, because it definitely hadn't been from his father. Claudia calls up Shareen, the receptionist from the station, and asks for the name and description of both the dead man and the missing boy. After only two minutes she has strong armed **and** black mailed her way into the information as well as secured that Shareen will _not_ be telling anyone that Claudia has called her. Ever.

Of course, the smile that's wound its way onto Stiles' face falls the minute he gets the names.

Isaac Lahey is the missing boy and his father is dead. It's been confirmed that it was an animal attack, but Stiles knows that it might as well be code for rogue something-or-other killing someone.

His mother knows that her son knew Isaac from his own world, so they agree to help in the search, but they aren't allowed out tonight not only because of the rogue Alpha, but because it's Scott's first full moon. They need to be home in case Talia calls needing help.

She won't, but his mother is adamant about staying in. So instead of going out and looking for Isaac the way Stiles wants to, his mother herds him up to the attic and pulls out this really old map of Beacon Hills so she can start divining. A skill Stiles neither knows how to do nor has the patience to practice or learn.

They've been sitting there for close to three hours when his mother slams her hands down on the trunk that's holding the map. Stiles freezes when she turns to glare at him.

But her glare turns into a smile, one that is forced and fake, before commenting, "Why don't you go get some sleep. You must be exhausted."

"Not really, I-"

"Go. To. Bed." She glares at his leg, which is shaking horribly, and Stiles stops.

He knows his mother has a lot of patience, but even she has her limits. Stiles walks over, kisses her on the forehead, and makes his way down from the attic.

Being a rather nocturnal creature himself, Stiles doesn't exactly feel sleepy. But he knows that the best time to look for Isaac is during daylight hours, so he shoots Scott a text to come over as soon as he feels ready and rested (he'd always been exhausted after having to be locked up on full moons, but it could be different) before making himself tea and heading to bed. He figures he has seven hours until Scott's well rested around noon, so he settles in and tries his best to fall asleep.


	13. Starting the Search

_Stiles pants as Derek slides into place across from Scott, effectively trapping the gruesome monster with their pack. Allison and Lydia had to hang back so they'd be safe. Also, Allison's arrows were better at a distance. That left Derek, Scott, Boyd, Erica, Cora and himself – much to Derek's chagrin – to surround the thing._

_It's human in shape, roughly. It has sickly green skin, and parts of it are covered in sleek looking scales that remind Stiles of their days chasing the Kanima. Its claws are the length of Stiles' forearm and its teeth put the werewolves' fangs to shame. It can talk, it has before, but it's raspy as if it's been drinking acid or something._

"_We told you to leave and you didn't listen. Now we're going to have to kill you." Derek tells it._

_Stiles knows how much it pains Derek to have to kill anything. To add more blood to his list._

_It doesn't respond, merely lunges at Derek. Stiles reacts out of instinct more than anything. The ting collides with Stiles' light-barrier and recoils. The creature immediately focuses on Stiles who is the only being in their little ragtag circle not spouting fangs and facial hair._

_Well he does have a bit of facial hair, but not like Derek and Scott do._

_It hisses at him in another language. Or English, but its voice is so fucked up that Stiles' couldn't tell even if he was up close. Stiles prepares for it to jump at him, but it does the opposite._

_It smiles at the Fay as if it's got some sort of secret that could change the universe. It shifts, not unlike a cat trying to get comfortable, before looking around at their group._

_Before anyone else can react, it jumps at Isaac. Stiles tries to throw up another light-barrier, but it skirts around it and still gets Isaac. It runs off with Isaac screaming and yelling the whole way. The pack races after it and Isaac, who is still screaming._

_Stiles' doesn't know if that's a good sign or a bad sign._

_The Fay gets there first, with Derek and Scott milliseconds behind him. It's got Isaac on the floor and his chest is sliced open. Isaac has given it quite a few wounds, but it doesn't seem to even register them. It turns to look at Stiles again with that smile. It curls back over its shark-like teeth and Stiles freezes. Derek and Scott run forward to help, but they're too late because it turns back to its prey and bites at Isaac's chest._

_Isaac's scream rings through the forest for three seconds before it cuts off and the werewolf falls silent._

_Tears run down the Fay's face as he feels Isaac's soul leave him and he knows Lydia feels it too, somewhere out in the forest. They don't know how, but she always feels when death happens._

_The creature on top of Isaac pulls back, the brunet's heart between his long teeth. Derek swings at it, but it bounds away, into the forest. Stiles can't move as Erica and Boyd run past him to get to Isaac's lifeless body and Derek and Scott run after the creature._

_He feels numb as he stares at Erica crying over her friends' body. He can barely hear anything and I feels like the world is moving in slow motion._

"_Stiles." Lydia runs in front of him, tears running down her face in streams to match Stiles._

"_Stiles, wake up." She calls and Stiles stares at her._

"_Stiles, please wake up."_

He screams as he bolts upright in bed. He's wrapped up in between two warm bodies trying desperately to restrain him as he fights unseen phantoms.

"Stiles, it's okay! You're safe!" He hears Scott call out to him.

Stiles tries to calm himself down, but it really doesn't work at first. Eventually, he manages to even out his breathing and sit up shakily.

"Do you need anything?" That's Derek.

Stiles shakes his head, trying to get himself situated. He feels a few tears manage to fall from his eyes. Derek's hand on his shoulder doesn't really do anything except show Stiles how badly he's shaking.

And then it's like all of his fear and anxiety is being pulled out of him.

"You shouldn't do that." He leans away from Derek's hand.

"I'm just trying to help." He looks like he wants to, but he doesn't reach out to Stiles again.

After a minute of silence, Scott asks, "Why'd you ask me to be here?"

Stiles looks up, remembering. "I wanted to know how last night went and I've got bad news."

"Last night was fine. What's the bad news?" Derek answers instead of Scott, but Stiles' accepts that when Scott nods his affirmation.

"My dad got a call last night at two a.m. because Isaac Lahey has gone missing and his father's been murdered by an animal."

"Oh." Scott's voice peeps.

And then, "_Oh_."

"Yeah."

"We're going after him aren't we?"

"Of course." Stiles stands up and grabs a change of clothes.

"I think we should tell our parents." Derek comments.

"I think that's a stupid idea, so I've elected to ignore it. All in favor?"

"Aye." Scott calls, grinning at Derek.

Derek sighs, as if they're going to be the death of him.

"Why is Derek here anyway?" Stiles asks, peeling off his shirt and flinging it into the hamper.

"I got your text and as I was leaving Talia caught me and made Derek go with me because she's worried about me shifting and whatnot."

"Well then that means you're our new partner in crime." Stiles changes his dirty jeans for a fresh pair before grabbing a pair of socks and his shoes from his closet.

"I'm hoping you're speaking figuratively." Derek asks, sounding weird.

"He's being serious. We'd probably be arrested if we were caught." Scott grins at Derek.

Stiles taps the front of his sneakers against the floor to make sure they're in place before grinning widely and walking out his bedroom door. He doesn't have to look behind himself to see that Derek and Scott are following him like good little puppies.

"I think this is a really bad idea."

"You don't even know what we're doing!" Stiles comments, opening his front door and ushering both Were's through it. He turns and locks it before heading over to his jeep.

"Exactly! You haven't told us what you're planning! And Scott, how can you just blindly go with it? You don't know what you're doing!"

"Because I trust Stiles!"

"And I don't!" Derek snaps, looking more pissed by the minute.

"Ouch!" Stiles mocks being hurt by the statement as he climbs into the driver's seat.

Scott crosses his arms and looks at Derek, "I trust Stiles with my life. To protect and enrich it. He'd kill for me and he'd die for me. I'd do the same for him. You don't have to trust him like I do, but you should know that."

The driveway is suddenly extremely tense as Derek scowls at Scott.

Stiles sits in the driver's seat as patiently as possible. Scott didn't have to be so damn dramatic about it, but he's touched that Scott would be willing to die and kill for him. Of course he'd do it for Scott. Without a second thought. But the thought that this universe's Scott cares so much for him makes Stiles feel…touched.

Stiles starts up Thomas – what he's affectionately named the Jeep he'd gotten from his parents in this universe, as opposed to Roscoe from his world – and startles the Were's out of their glaring match.

"You two gonna have a pissing contest all day or are we gonna go find Isaac?"

Scott turns to look at Derek, making a face that Stiles can't see, before climbing into the Jeep's back seat. Derek sighs before climbing into the passenger seat and slamming the door much harder than necessary.

"Dude, careful with my baby, he's delicate." Derek just raises an eyebrow at him.

Stiles is kind of glad he's had time to master Eyebrow.

"Don't give me that look." Stiles grins as he backs out of his driveway and takes them down the few roads separating Stiles' house from Isaac's.

It takes no more than twenty minutes to get to the Lahey house and seconds to park on the road adjacent to it. Scott is glued to his side the entire time they're sneaking into the Lahey backyard. Stiles leads them around to the side until they're directly beneath Isaac's window, which is on the second floor.

"Give me a boost." Scott frowns but complies, lacing his fingers together with his back against the wall.

Stiles uses Scott's help to reach the window sill, which he grabs and lifts himself inside once he has it open.

"Should I mention you weigh a lot less?" Scott calls, not too loudly but loud enough for Stiles' to hear.

"Thanks buddy, but that's more because of your superhuman strength." Stiles quickly grabs one of Isaac's few shirts – his father really doesn't give him much – before heading back to the window. He swings one leg over the sill before grabbing the sill tight and so he's straddling the ledge before swinging the other leg over and sitting on the sill. Without much thought, he jumps off the sill. He was planning on landing on his feet.

Instead Derek's jumping forward and catching him with his arms wrapped underneath Stiles' ass and Stiles' arms braced on the older Were's shoulders.

"Well, hello there." Stiles smirks.

Derek drops him the three feet he's off the floor and glares at him.

"What were you thinking? You jumped off the second floor!"

"Yeah…wouldn't be the first time." Stiles holds up Isaac's shirt.

"Think you could catch Isaac's scent off of this?" His question is aimed at Scott, who looks a bit pensive.

"Maybe, I haven't practiced or anything."

Derek rolls his eyes so hard Stiles thinks it had to have been painful.

"I can do it, but I still think we should talk to our parents."

"Mama's boy." Stiles throws the shirt at Derek and leads the way back to his Jeep.

"I am not!" Derek calls out after they've jumped the fence.

"You're how old? And you want to go running to your mother." Stiles grins, teasing.

"I'm twenty-one and I do not want to 'run to my mother,' Stiles. You don't understand Pack dynamics, do you?"

"I understand Pack dynamics perfectly well, Derek," Stiles tells him, his grin falling from his face.

"Then you should understand the compulsion to want to run everything by your Alpha. The need to make sure you're not doing something wrong. Now add in the fact that my Alpha is my mother. Can you imagine how I feel about doing something I know she'd disapprove of?"

"Then you don't have to come with us." Stiles opens the door to his Jeep.

Only Derek slams it shut before he can get in.

"I do, because my mother – my Alpha – ordered me to look after Scott. I'm trying to look after him, but you seem to want to do the stupidest things. You act like you want him in danger!"

"No, I know Scott can take care of himself. I know he's not some dainty little flower that's gonna get trampled over. I'm doing this to help Isaac. Scott could have said no at any time, Derek, so don't go acting like I'm some evil jerk whose only purpose in life is to put Scott in danger!"

"Do you not understand how easy it would be for him to shift and hurt you? Or someone else? What then?"

"I'd knock his ass out before it got that far!" Stiles yells, feeling like knocking Derek out and leaving him by the side of the road.

"And how are you going to do that? You probably couldn't life a bag of flour!"

Scott must see something in him that Stiles can't see, because he's over there in between the two arguing men before Stiles can bash Derek's fucking head in.

"Stiles, before you go flinging Derek across the street, remember he's only trying to help and we're in public." Then he's turning to Derek, "He's right, I can take care of myself. I don't need you 'mother hen'ing me, Derek. If I'm with Stiles, I'm as safe as I'm ever going to be. He protected me from an Alpha. Do you not get that? And we both know he's more powerful than he looks, and that's not including his powers."

Stiles feels like reminding Scott that he can get around his little 'human barrier' as easily as breathing but instead he turns to look away, trying to get his temper under control.

After a few minutes of silence, he turns back around to see that Derek's facing away from him looking like he's about to shift and kill something.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," Stiles says, "But you have to realize that I would rather chop my own arm off than hurt Scott."

"You got him bitten, or have you forgotten that?" Derek snaps, not turning around.

Stiles stands there for a moment, stunned, while Scott quickly grabs his shoulders.

"It's not Stiles' fault that I got bitten, Derek. We were headed to a party and his Jeep broke down. I got attacked. I would have died without Stiles."

"No, he's got a point. I convinced you to go to that party, Scott. You wouldn't have been there if it weren't for me. But to insinuate that I took Scott out there, knowing that the fucking Alpha would get him? Low blow, Derek."

"I didn't say that!" Derek turns, his eyes flashing Beta blue.

"Then what were you implying? That despite all of my best intention's Scott's still going to get hurt?"

"No, I meant that he can get hurt if you're there or not. He can still hurt people if you're there. You don't seem to get that! You can't count on you being there to save him!"

"And you can't count on Scott fucking up!"

Stiles leans forward and snatches Isaac's shirt out of Derek's hands.

"_I'm_ going to look for Isaac. If _Scott_ doesn't want to come, then _he_ doesn't have to. If _you_ don't want to come, _you_ don't have to."

"I'm going with you, Stiles. Talia said it'd be best if no one was alone while this Alpha is out."

Derek glares at the two of them, "I'll go with you, but if we don't find this kid then no one says a word to my mother."

He snatches Isaac's shirt back muttering something about Scott being shit at tracking.


	14. Finding Isaac

Stiles chases after Derek through the woods with Scott by his side. Derek had, in fact, picked up Isaac's scent. The bad news about that is that he smelled blood about three miles into the forest, not far from Isaac's house.

Where isn't there forest in Beacon Hills? Honestly, the town's like fifty percent forest.

Stiles slides to a stop behind where Derek is standing, managing to not collide with the older – younger? – man. Scott isn't as lucky and he smacks into Derek's shoulder. Derek doesn't even look back.

In front of them is a large river, one that Stiles had no idea ran through the forest.

"The scent stops here. Maybe the kid was smart enough to try and use the river to throw off his scent."

"But it's a Werewolf. An Alpha at that. Can't you still pick up his scent?"

"No, I can't. I'm not a bloodhound, Stiles." Derek snaps, his eyes glowing blue.

"No, you're supposed to be better than one." Stiles glares, a little miffed that he's the only one whose breathing is even a little bit out of sorts.

"You want to track this kid?"

"No. I _can't_ track this kid. That's why I brought two _Werewolves_."

"Oh my god, guys stop fighting." Scott interrupts, sounding younger than he is.

Stiles rolls his eyes, but looks at Derek.

"So he crossed the river, right?"

"Yeah." Derek nods, obviously holding back a comment or two.

Stiles decides that if Derek's willing to try and not fight, he can do the same.

"So we just need to cross the river so you can pick up his scent again, right?"

"That _could_ work." Derek sighs.

They find a shallower part of the river before crossing.

"Stiles, this river is freezing!" Scott complains, being the last to get through the thigh-high river.

"I'll make you something warm when we get home, I promise." Stiles rolls his eyes as Scott shakes his pant legs, trying to rid himself of at least some water.

At least he's not full-body shaking like a dog, so Stiles counts himself lucky.

Stiles cheats a little by using his Fay powers to push some of the water down, and he's semi-dry already when Scott notices that exact fact.

He's about to complain when Derek comes back to them, having gone to pick up the scent again.

"This way."

And they're off through the woods again. Just as Stiles is about to ask for them to take a break – he may run as a pastime, but this is ridiculous; they don't run this far in cross-country – Derek skids to a stop. Stiles manages to grab Scott before he collides into Derek again.

Derek inhales deeply and mutters, "I knew this was a bad idea."

"What's going on?"

"The Alpha's been here recently. Very Recently."

Stiles quickly reaches out with his light and casts it over their immediate vicinity. He doesn't feel an Alpha, but he does feel a human-esque person.

"This way!" Stiles quickly darts off towards where he knows that person is.

When he gets there, there is no person, only more trees.

"Stiles! Didn't you hear me?" Derek snaps, grabbing his shirt and spinning the Fay to look at him.

"Someone is here, but I don't think it's the Alpha." Stiles looks around some more.

"How do you know?"

"I can sense them. With my light."

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?!" Derek snaps.

"Because I get like half a mile radius at max and it takes serious effort for like three seconds," Stiles snaps.

"Can you do it again?" Scott asks, interrupting Derek's more-than-likely snarky response.

"I could, but…" Stiles trails off.

This was where he'd felt them. He was sure of it. He maneuvers around a few trees, looking for Isaac.

"I can smell him. Your friend or whatever. He's got to be close by."

"I know that," Stiles mutters, trying to figure out where he could be.

"Hate the rain on the parade, but maybe the Alpha killed him and buried him?" Scott suggests, looking incredibly reluctant to even offer the idea.

"No, I'd smell more blood," Derek comments.

Stiles throws his hands up in frustration before running them through his hair and looking at the sky.

"Oh," Stiles breathes out.

"What? Did you think of something?"

"Oh Isaac, you smart bastard." Stiles points up, towards the top of the nearest tree where Isaac is sitting on one of the branches, fast asleep.

"Why didn't the Alpha get him?" Scott asks.

"Not all wolves can climb trees. Well, wolves can't _really_ climb trees so maybe the better example would be not all _humans_ can climb trees, so maybe not all _Werewolves_ can climb trees. Maybe it's like something you have to be accustomed to?" Stiles offers.

"I've seen wolves in trees." Scott counters.

Stiles waves Derek over to the trees' base.

"Wolves can't actually climb trees like humans can. They can jump from something high enough to a branch within their reach, but they can't actually climb trees." He looks at Derek, "You okay with me standing on your shoulders so I can reach the branch?" Stiles points at the lowest hanging branch.

"Not really, but sure." Derek kneels and Stiles stands on his shoulders.

Derek stands when Stiles gives him the go ahead. Even on his tip toes – on Derek's shoulders – Stiles' can't reach the lowest branch.

"I'm gonna jump, just a warning."

"Stiles, don't! That's a stu-"

Stiles jumps anyway. He manages to reach the branch and pull himself up. From here, he's actually got an easy path to get to Isaac.

"If you had to jump off of Derek's shoulders to get to the lowest branch, how'd Isaac get up there?" Scott asks from the ground where he's nervously watching Stiles climb the large – insanely large – tree.

"He's got a good point." Derek scowls, following Stiles from his position on the ground.

Stiles realizes Derek's following him in case he falls. Aw, how sweet.

"He must have found a lower hanging branch on another tree and crossed over. Derek?"

Derek is instantly tense. "What's wrong?"

Stiles smiles down at him, "Stop following me, you're making me nervous."

"You could fall, Stiles. I'm trying to make sure you don't break your neck," Derek gripes and doesn't stop following Stiles.

When Stiles reaches Isaac he's at least a hundred feet off the ground. If Derek's willing to catch him from this height, he's crazy. He gently grabs Isaac's arm while standing on the branch just beneath and to the side of the one Isaac is sitting on.

"Isaac," He whispers.

Isaac has a lot of blood on his sleeve, but no wound anywhere Stiles can see.

"Isaac," He calls a bit louder.

The teen jerks awake and flails, trying to get away from Stiles.

"Isaac! Isaac! Calm down! We're here to help you!"

"Get away!" Isaac calls, struggling.

It happens in slow motion to Stiles. Isaac pulls back, tipping Stiles forwards

"ISAAC! NO!" Stiles grabs a firm grip on Isaac's arm as the boy falls.

Stiles' gut smacks into the branch Isaac was sitting on, and Stiles quickly grabs the branch as he flips over it. And really, Stiles _tried_ to hold on, but when three hundred pounds gains momentum, there's no way Stiles could stop it. Which means he and Isaac are falling down the tree from at least a hundred feet up and Stiles can just hear the reprimand he's going to get from his mother if he lives.

Sometime during their fall Stiles let go of Isaac, who happens to land on a branch near the bottom while Stiles _just so happens_ to miss _every fucking opportunity_ to break his fall.

He's expecting hard forest floor, maybe with a large tree root breaking his back, but instead he hits a not-_as_-hard person.

When Stiles finally catches his breath, he opens his eyes to see Derek, who is lying on the floor because he was an idiot and tried to catch Stiles.

"Shit, Derek, are you okay?" Stiles lifts himself off of Derek and quickly checks him over.

Nothing looks nastily broken, but there could be internal damage from Stiles – a hundred and forty pound Stiles – falling on top of Derek from one hundred feet up. Derek groans, eyes closed tight, but he's responding so Stiles knows he's not dead.

Behind him, he hears Scott call out to Isaac, trying to convince the curly haired boy to come out of the tree. Isaac, however, is adamant that he's staying up in the tree where nothing can get him.

"Derek?" Stiles asks again, trying to get an actual response from the Were.

"I told you this was a bad idea." Derek groans.

Stiles sighs with his whole body and smiles, relieved that Derek's alright.

"Anything broken?"

"I don't think so." Derek raises his hands and pats his chest a few times.

"I'm gonna go corral Isaac, alright?"

Derek nods, so Stiles gets up and makes his way over to where Scott's standing, but he keeps an ear open just in case.

"Isaac! It's Stiles! From school!"

Isaac looks around the forest, not really paying them much attention.

"You guys shouldn't be here!" Isaac calls down, righting himself on the branch so he's straddling it.

"We came here looking for you!" Scott tells him, looking worried.

"That was a bad idea!"

"I told you." Derek stands up and makes his way over to Stiles and Scott.

"You're not gonna let that go, are you?"

"No." Derek's voice is so dry the Mojave Desert would look refreshing in comparison.

"Isaac, we know about the thing that came after you!"

"No, you don't." Isaac shakes, looking petrified.

"We know what it is, and we can get you out of the forest. Safely."

Isaac laughs at him, "You think _you_ can get me out of here safely?"

"If you're gonna be an ungrateful ass, we can leave you here for it to come back and get you."

Isaac hesitates, looking around.

"I'm not catching him if he falls." Derek scowls directly at Stiles.

"I'm sorry I fell on you, okay? It wasn't my fault."

"Yes it is, we could have done something not as deadly."

"Like what?" Stiles glares at Derek.

Derek opens his mouth to retort but quickly closes it again, having no response apparently.

Scott nudges Stiles' arm when Isaac starts climbing down the tree on his own. It's a slow process and Scott looks insanely worried when he makes the final jump from the lowest branch to the forest floor.

Isaac lands on his feet, looking shocked that he hasn't broken something.

Stiles walks over to Isaac, holding his hands up to the frightened teen.

"I'm gonna check you over, see if you're okay."

"He got me. He cut my arm open really bad, I swear."

"He?" Derek asks, looking concerned.

"He knocked on our door, didn't say anything, just attacked me. I turned and ran. I left through the back. I didn't even stop for-" Isaac tears up as Stiles rolls his sleeve up, revealing no wound.

"He got me, I swear!" Isaac is trying not to cry but he's breathing like he's on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Did he bite you?" Scott asks in a calming voice.

"No, but the dog he sent after me…this huge thing, it bit my leg." He gestures down to his shredded pant leg.

"They got me, I'm serious! I'm not lying!"

"We believe you, Isaac." Stiles grabs Isaac's hands.

"I'm not crazy, they got my dad!"

"We know, Isaac. He's dead, I'm sorry."

Isaac looks torn, like he shouldn't be happy that his abusive father is gone.

"Should we tell him?" Derek asks, quietly.

"You just told me that my father is dead! What else could you tell me?"

"The man who attacked you and the dog that attacked you are the same person. It was an Alpha Werewolf, and it bit you. That's why you don't have any wounds. You healed."

Isaac looks disbelieving, so Derek steps forward, "Scott and I are Werewolves, too. Do you want me to prove it?"

It takes Isaac a moment to nod, and when he does nod, he does so slowly.

Derek shifts, wearing his full on Beta face, glowing eyes, fangs and all. Isaac jumps, but other than that, he just stands there staring. Eventually, he turns to look at Scott, who does the same.

"Was I safer up in the tree?" He asks Stiles.

"No. Derek and Scott aren't going to hurt you. We're going to head back to my Jeep and we're going to call the cops who are looking for you, okay?"

Isaac nods.

"We're not telling them you're all – we're all – Werewolves, are we?"

"No, and we're not _all_ Werewolves. _I'm_ not." Stiles leads Isaac back the way they came with Derek in the lead with his normal face back.

"So…you're human and decided to get involved in this?"

"No, I'm Fay."

Isaac just looks at him blankly, "After I get some decent sleep, I'd like a full explanation, please."

"Not a problem." Stiles grins at the curly haired teen.


	15. Cover Stories at the Sheriff's Station

"So I'm supposed to believe that you and Scott just…happened to be in the woods." Stiles father asks him.

Stiles thinks this all feels incredibly familiar, the lying to his father's face part, not the reprimands it comes with.

"Derek was with us," Stiles reminds his father.

The Sheriff sighs, running a hand down his face, "And since when did you start hanging out with Derek Hale?"

"Since he started tutoring Scott."

"And you can't tutor Scott because?"

"Because he gets annoying when I correct him more than usual."

John Stilinski sighs again, looking at his son who is seated on the bench across from his desk. The four men had worked out their story in the woods; an animal broke into the Lahey house and Isaac ran into the woods where he got lost.

Speaking of Isaac, the curly haired man is in the hospital right now getting checked out with Melissa.

Of course, his father doesn't believe him. Has every right not to, but Stiles is an expert at lying at this point. He doesn't want to, but he and his mother had agreed that John shouldn't be in on Supernatural beings. Well, Claudia demanded and Stiles had to agree.

How could he not when he was just happy to have his mother back in his life.

He wants nothing more than to drag Scott in here and have him provide evidence when Stiles divulges his secret. But he can't because it's not just his secret.

"Alright, but you have to realize how suspicious that is."

"Yeah, Dad. I know. I'm sorry it sounds so suspicious, I'm not trying."

John sighs, buying Stiles' act and the younger man feels like shit, "I know you're not, kiddo." John ushers him out the door.

John wraps his arm around Stiles really quickly in a brief hug before making his way over to Deputy Parish – he wasn't here this early, that's weird – and leaving Stiles to face his mother.

Talia is standing off in a corner talking to Scott and Derek, both of whom look like their tails would be between their legs if they had them, and looking torn between proud and pissed.

Claudia just looks furious.

"I'm not sorry I went looking for Isaac," Stiles tells her, tilting his chin upwards.

"_I'm not mad that you went looking for Isaac. I'm not mad that you went looking for Isaac while there was an Alpha on the loose. You put Scott and Derek in jeopardy just so you could save someone you don't know! Simply because you knew someone who looked like him in yours!_" Claudia tells him, talking in Fay so no one knows what they're talking about.

"I -" Stiles starts in English, but decides that Fay would be better in public, just in case, "_I didn't go looking for Isaac because I knew him in my world! I went looking for him because it's __**what I do**__!_"

"_No, it's what you __**did**__! There is a large difference, Stiles. In this world, your friend isn't the Alpha. This isn't your territory to protect!_"

"_That's not what this is about! I don't care that Derek's not an Alpha! I don't care that this Isaac looks just like my Isaac! I went looking for him because he needed my help! That's what you always taught me to do! To look out for others when they need help!_"

"_Listen to me, Szczepan, and listen well. These people here, they aren't your friends. Not anymore. You __**can't**__ keep confusing the two!_"

"_I'm not!_" Stiles shouts, drawing attention to them. "_I know the difference! I know the difference every day! And if we're going by that logic? You're not my mother!_"

His mother seems to realize what she's said and mutters an apology.

"I'm sorry, Stiles." She sighs, talking in English again.

"Me, too."

She switches back to Fay seamlessly, "_I know you want to help people. And I am __**so**__ proud of you for finding Isaac. But you have to remember, I left this life so you wouldn't have to live through this!_"

"_Even if you weren't in this life anymore, mom, I am. I'm always going to be. It's part of who I am. I wouldn't change it for the world._"

Claudia looks incredibly sad, but she nods.

Then John comes over with Talia and the boys in tow.

"You two alright?"

"Yeah," Stiles murmurs.

"I contacted Isaac's next of kin, but they're not going to come down and claim him. With his father dead and his mother missing for years now, the kids' only option is foster care."

"I can ask my mom to take care of him." Scott volunteers.

"That's not the same, Scott." The Sheriff tell him.

"Why isn't it?" Talia counters, "If Melissa is willing to take care of Isaac, wouldn't that be better than the foster system? Of course, this is provided that Melissa actually agrees to care for Isaac. Whether it's adoption or simply taking care of him until he's eighteen."

The Sheriff sighs, looking weary.

"Alright. I have to go down to the hospital to talk to Isaac anyway. I can talk to Melissa while I'm there anyway. You guys heading home?" He aims the question at Stiles and Claudia.

"Yes." Claudia and Talia announce at the same time.

"Alrighty then." John smiles and leave.

"So how grounded do you think I'll be?" Scott asks Stiles.

Stiles inhales sharply, "Oh, definitely no TV."

Scott shrugs, not that upset.

Talia and Claudia shuffle off to the side to talk amongst themselves, leaving Stiles, Scott, and Derek alone together.

"She sounded pretty mad."

Stiles shrugs and Scott instantly gets the hint to drop the subject.

"What do you think's going to happen to Isaac now? He's obviously taken the bite. He's going to need teaching."

"You and Stiles can teach him." Scott offers like it's not a terrifying idea for Stiles.

Which it is.


	16. Working it all Out

A few days after Isaac's let out of the hospital, the Sheriff and Talia have pushed enough paperwork and pulled enough strings – on Talia's part, not his father's, because his father is the cleanest cop in the existence of cops – that Melissa is now taking care of Isaac as well as Scott. Isaac has taken over the guest bedroom in the McCall house which has basically gone unused since every time Stiles stayed over, he shared the bed with Scott. They've gone through basic training with Isaac and much to everyone's surprise the curly haired boy is coping really well with his father dying and becoming a Werewolf in the same twenty-four hour period.

Right now he, Scott, Isaac, Derek, Claudia, and Talia are standing around the McCall family table discussing their options when it comes to the rogue Alpha running around. Stiles lays down a load of printed out pictures of reports dealing with animal attacks in Beacon Hills in the past month.

"Stiles, these are reports from the Sheriff's office, how did you get these?" Talia asks, looking concerned.

"My dad had them all laid out on the kitchen table a couple nights ago so I got him drunk and snapped a few pictures. I figured that Scott and Isaac can't be the only two attacked and an Alpha Werewolf isn't going to just…shank a guy. Question is…why is he attacking all these people?"

Stiles looks up at the absolute silence in the room.

"You got your father drunk?" Claudia crosses her arms, looking at Stiles like he's just run over a puppy.

"Yes?" Stiles bites one of his knuckles.

"It was for a good cause!"

"You sneaky little shit, you're grounded if you ever do that again."

Stiles can't help but grin and nod.

"Okay. No getting dad drunk and taking pictures of cases."

"So you just took pictures of all of the cases that were animal attacks?" Derek asks, picking up one of the pictures and grimacing.

"Not exactly. There were a few that I could tell were actually just animal attacks like bears or coyote's. I only took pictures of the ones that screamed Werewolf attack. Most of these have no postmortem wounds and actual animals wouldn't do that. If they killed something, they'd more than likely eat it, too."

"You know way too much about this." Isaac comments, grabbing one of the pictures.

Half of the pictures are case reports, usually in illegible handwriting, while the other half are pictures of the victims and the crime scene.

"So what are we doing? I mean, why do we have these?"

"We're trying to see if there's a pattern to the Alpha's victims. Or if we can find out anything about his plans."

Scott pokes around a few of the pictures before commenting, "You told me something once."

Stiles looks up at his friend who has everyone's attention.

"You said that…an Alpha could…_kill_ its Beta to gain its powers, right?"

"Well, yeah, but…I mean they'd have to be pretty psychotic to do that. Losing pack is like losing a limb."

"Well, it's just. That day we were walking and the Alpha attacked us. It not only bit me, but it sliced me clean open. I mean, I would have bleed to death in a matter of minutes if I weren't for you. And it didn't try to stop and wait for me to turn so I don't think it was trying to recruit me into its pack."

"Same for me. After it bit me it kept coming after me." Isaac intones.

"You think this Alpha is trying to turn people just to kill them and gain power?" Talia asks, sounding disgusted.

"It's a possibility. If we look at these in that light, the lack of postmortem wounds makes sense if they were just trying to gain power. No need to continue going once you've got what you want, right?" Stiles crosses his arms, looking at the pictures laid out in front of him.

Isaac grabs another and freezes.

"Isaac?" Scott asks.

"I know this guy." Isaac shows Stiles the picture of a random teenager. Most of the deceased in their pile are teenagers, actually.

"You know this guy?"

"No, I had a really weird dream about him. I didn't think anything of it; figured I was having bad dreams after being attacked."

Stiles hands the picture to Scott, hoping his hatching theory is wrong.

"I had a dream about him, too." Scott's forehead knits together in confusion.

"I had a dream he was walking home from practice of some kind." Isaac tells him.

Scott interrupts, "And you attack him?"

"Then those aren't dreams." Stiles sighs, leaning on the table.

"It sounds like the two of you are seeing through the eyes of the Alpha while you're sleeping. Or maybe he's sending them to you." Talia muses.

"Wait, he can do that?" Isaac asks, sounding horrified.

"Yup."

"It seems the pattern is teenagers. And I don't think its because of their ability to adapt." Claudia places one of the pictures down.

"I'm guessing he's just going for easy targets. I mean, every person we _know_ he's attacked was either on their own or in a secluded place with few people."

"Well that's a horrifying thought." Talia murmurs.

"Why?" Stiles looks at her confused.

"Prom's coming up, isn't it? Which means lots of kids pairing off afterword's to get some 'quality time' in."

"That _**is**_ a terrifying thought." Stiles thinks about all the potential victims.

"Does that mean we have to go to prom?" Scott groans.

"It would probably be best if you did. Don't you guys have friends going to Prom?"

"Well there's Lydia. And Danny. Those are the only two I _know_ who are going."

"So the four of you are going to Prom?"

Stiles frowns, looking at Talia, confused.

"You mean us three?"

"Derek can take one of you as a guise."

"Not it!" Scott and Isaac call.

"Oh my god!" Derek looks beyond upset, "What if I don't want to go to Prom? I didn't go to my _own_ Prom."

"Are you arguing?" Talia lifts an eyebrow at Derek.

"No, ma'am." Derek hangs his head and Stiles sniggers at how whipped Derek is.

"So you'll need to rent a tux, since you're going with him." Claudia tells Stiles.

"WHAT!? Mom! No! That- That's so not fair!"

Claudia looks at him with an amused grin.

Stiles glares at her until he's forced to drop his gaze and mutter, "I'll go shopping tomorrow."

"You can take Isaac and Scott with you, I know they don't have tux's either." Claudia claps him on the shoulder before leaving with Talia out of the house.


	17. An InterrogationOf Sorts

When Stiles flops into a chair in the school's cafeteria the next day, he's in an even worse mood than he'd been in when his mother and Talia had forced him and Derek to go to Prom together. _Nothing_ has gone right today. First his Jeep breaks down so his mother calls Derek to give him a ride. And then she strong-arms him into driving Stiles to and from school until his Jeep gets back. As if that wasn't bad enough, his Jeep is in the shop, and the man said it could take up to _two weeks_ for him to fix his baby. Two weeks! And of course, that leaves him with Derek having to drive him to get his tux rented with Scott and Isaac.

Which, it's not like Stiles _dislikes_ Derek. On the contrary, he actually likes this Derek more than his world's Derek. But there's only so much of his attitude that Stiles could handle.

"You look like someone's pissed in your boot," Isaac comments opposite him.

"His baby broke down and now he's stuck being driven around by Derek." Stiles glares at Scott for telling Isaac.

"Poor thing," Isaac intones, smirking.

"What's with that look? You really want to start something with me, Isaac? I will -" He goes to threaten Isaac but Lydia sits down in the chair next to Stiles.

As if that wasn't weird enough, Danny and Jackson follow suit.

Stiles leans away, knowing something devious is going down.

"So, Stiles." Lydia smirks. "I hear you're going to Prom."

"Yeah. Scott and Isaac, too."

"Yes, but I'm hearing rumors that you'll be going with a man. A rather attractive one at that."

"Yeah, I guess." Stiles is still wondering what her end game is.

"You guess? You don't think your date's attractive?"

"Oh, I know he's attractive. He's better looking than Jackson, that's for sure."

"Cute, Stilinski." Jackson gives him a sour look.

"Aren't I though?" Stiles grins and flutters his lashes at Jackson which just earns him a glare.

Danny cuts them off, though, "So how attractive is this guy and since when were you gay?"

"I'm not gay, I'm Pan." Stiles tries to ignore the other question.

"So you're a slut?" Jackson sneers at him.

"No, it means I'm not a closed minded bigot who only dates someone based on something as superficial as their gender. Educate yourself, you uncultured swine."

Isaac tries to hide a snigger behind his hand while Scott buries his face into Isaac's shoulder from Jacksons face turning absolutely crimson. Stiles doesn't know if it's from rage or shame. Could be either.

Jackson stands from the table and storms off.

"So, ignoring Jackson. How cute is your date?" Lydia starts throwing questions at him left and right.

"Look, Lydia, it's nice that after nine years you're finally noticing me, but um…this is weird. What do you want."

"She wants to know if you've got a cuter date than her soon-to-be-ex boyfriend."

Stiles turns to Lydia, who looks pissed.

"Is something going on with you and Jackson?"

"Stop avoiding the question, Stilinski." Lydia fixes him with a look.

"He's attractive." Stiles tells them, hoping they'll get off his back.

"How attractive?" Danny asks, smirking.

"Very."

"You've got to give us more than that." Stiles looks at Scott and Isaac for help, but the two of them are whispering to each other and laughing their asses off as silently as possibly.

Which isn't so silently.

"He's very attractive."

"You've said that. Give us a description so we're not thrown off next Saturday!"

"He's so attractive, screw Whipped cream, I'd eat vegetables off his abs, how's that?"

Lydia and Danny both look at him in surprise before bombarding him with more questions like what he's going to wear and what is his date going to wear.

Stiles wants the floor to swallow him up right then and there and he looks at Scott for help, but the asshat is still laughing with Isaac about his misery.


	18. Surprise Seizure

On Monday, after Lydia and Danny tease the piss out of Stiles, he gets four tickets for his little group. He has to weasel the tickets out of Amber, a friend of Lydia's, and she doesn't even realize she's been tricked when Stiles walks away with what he wants for free.

On Wednesday, Stiles goes with Scott and Isaac to grab their tuxes in Derek's car. Derek spends the whole time complaining and Stiles spends the whole time bitching about Derek's bitching.

So when Thursday rolls around – and Stiles keeps reminding himself that he only has to suffer for two more days before Prom – he's not exactly in the best of moods.

There has been two more attacks since last Saturday and Stiles is upset that they didn't make it. He didn't know them, he'd recognized them but he didn't know them. He recognizes people all the time, but he doesn't know any of them.

He's walking down the hall to his sixth period when there's a commotion in the opposite hall. Stiles, with his ever-growing curiosity, has to go find out what's happening. Especially since he knows quite a few Werewolves in this town and he has to make sure they aren't involved.

What he finds is somehow worse. Erica is having a seizure in the hallway and people are just standing there. They're not helping, but Stiles guesses it's a blessing that they're not teasing her like in his old world. He quickly rushes over when he hears someone ask if they should hold her down.

He pushes his way through the crowd and quickly drops to his knees next to Erica. He instructs everyone to move back and give her some room and he quickly checks her over. She's not wearing tight clothing and her backpack and other potentially dangerous objects aren't near her so Stiles counts them lucky.

"How long has she been seizing?" Sties asks, gently trying to roll Erica onto her side.

There's no response so Stiles asks again, more demand in his tone, "How long has she been seizing?!"

Someone guesses about half a minute and Stiles glances at the time on his phone as he gently tries to comfort Erica.

He debates using his powers to help stop the seizure but that might be a little too suspicious. A few teachers have arrived and suggested a few very, VERY stupid ideas. Like holding her down or placing something in her mouth so she doesn't bite through her tongue. Stiles informs them that that would be an incredibly stupid idea as she'd more than likely break her teeth and possibly her jawline.

As half a minute turns into three minutes, Stiles turns to the nearest teacher and tells them to call 911 because the seizure isn't stopping. The teacher quickly pulls out his phone and calls the paramedics before phoning Erica's parents.

Stiles talks to Erica the entire time, worried that this seizure might seriously hurt her since it hasn't stopped. Stiles faintly hears the ambulance as it pulls up to the school – the Were's probably heard it loud and clear – and he feels a little relieved.

The crowd parts as two EMTs rush up to Erica's side. Stiles feels kind of empty and lost and he doesn't know what to do with himself as they take care of her and rush her away.

He sits there until teachers are ushering Students back to their classrooms and Stiles ends up in the class he T.A's for feeling really lost.

After school, Derek gives some bullshit excuse about a pack meeting – to which Stiles is not invited, _thank you very much_ – and he grumbles that he 'can't take Stiles to the hospital to visit his friend'.

Stiles sulks in his seat as Derek pulls up to Scott's house to drop Isaac and Scott off.

"You sure you don't want to come inside?" Scott asks, leaning down by the window.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Stiles mumbles and Scott steps away from the car.

Derek drives off and the ride is done in horrible silence. Stiles is just glad Cora had to stay at school for a project for a bit and is not here snarking away and ruining Stiles' already bad mood. Though it brings up the question: why isn't Cora obligated to go to this pack meeting but Derek is?

"I know you're upset I won't take you, but -"

"It's fine." Stiles would like to think he's not acting like a petulant child because he is around twenty five years old and he shouldn't be throwing a hissy fit.

Derek sighs, sounding long suffering, "I'll take you tomorrow after school if she's still there."

"Thank you, Derek!" Stiles jumps in his seat a bit but doesn't hug Derek like he wants to.

He spends the entire ride anxious and the entire night is worse. Stiles is so anxious that Friday actually crawls past him. He's sure the snails are screaming at time to catch up.

But the time the end of the days has arrived, Stiles is bouncing with energy. He's practically vibrating out of his skin with his worry over Erica. Derek is five minutes late and he looks tired, as if he'd been up all night.

Stiles wonders what he's doing to keep up all night.

The Fay has to stop his mind from going dirty places.

"So I thought of something last night." Derek tells him as they're on the road to the hospital.

"What's that?"

"Why didn't you just teleport to the hospital if you wanted to see this girl so bad?"

"Teleporting is for emergencies only and there's a big bad prowling around town, I can't be using my powers flagrantly."

Derek's silent before he mutters, "Makes sense, I guess."

"Damn right it makes sense, Stiles is infallible."

"I wouldn't go that far." Derek smirks and Stiles mock-glares at him.

When they get to the hospital, Stiles goes straight to Melissa with Derek trailing behind him. Melissa's first reaction is worry and a little bit of panic.

"What's wrong? Who got hurt? Wher-"

"Everyone's okay. A friend from school had a seizure and they should have brought her here; Erica Reyes. Could you find out what room she's in?"

Melissa sighs before she nods and makes her way behind the counter, "It looks like you're just in luck, Stiles. He parents are checking her out later today. She's in room 256."

"Thank you, Mama McCall." Stiles leans over the counter and kisses her on her cheek before making his way to the elevator.

"Why do you call her that?" Derek asks as they get into the elevator.

"Cause she's my second mother. She's taken care of me when my parents couldn't." Stiles grins, thinking about Melissa from his world and Mama McCall from this one. Incredible woman, no matter the world it would seems.

When the doors open, Stiles leads the way to Erica's room. He knocks and enters when he hears the meek 'It's open.' From inside.

Stiles peeks inside to see Erica looking more disheartened than he'd ever seen her. In this world or the last. In his last world, he'd only really gotten to know her personally after she'd taken the bite and become the confidant powerhouse that he knew.

"Hey, you. How are you feeling?"

Erica looks totally floored that he's even there. She quickly snaps out of it though, when she smiles at him.

"I'm fine."

"You had me really worried yesterday." Stiles tells her, sitting on the side of her hospital bed.

Erica glances behind him to Derek, a bit wary, before looking back at Stiles.

"It's fine, really. It's not the first time it's happened and it won't be the last."

There's an awkward silence as Erica picks at the sheets covering her.

"I was going to find you on Monday. Thank you for helping me through that. You wouldn't believe how many people don't know proper procedure for a seizure. Thanks for not letting them let myself hurt myself more. Did that make sense?"

"Yeah, I got it." Stiles grins at her, "I'm just glad I could help. It was a really bad one. You wouldn't stop seizing so I had to call the ambulance."

"It's fine. It's not the first time I've been taken from school in an ambulance. It is the first time that I hadn't voided myself, though, so that's a good thing." She gives him two thumbs up and a smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Erica. You have a medical condition, and if anyone tries to make fun of you they're idiotic assholes who need to get hit by a car. Twice. If you ever want to talk, I'm here for you. If anyone's ever giving you shit, I'm here for that, too." He offers, smiling as sincerely as he can.

Erica looks shocked and she starts crying.

"Oh, god, Erica, no, please don't cry." Stiles raises his hands, but he doesn't know what to do with them so they hang there awkwardly.

"No, it's – it's fine. I'm sorry. I just. Thank you." She smiles at him, wiping the tears off her face.

"Who's your friend?" She asks, changing the subject.

"This is Derek, he's a family friend." They make small talk for the better part of an hour before Erica's parents get there and have filled out all of the paper work needed to get her out. Stiles tells Erica that his word is good. He promises her again as he leaves her room with Derek in tow.


	19. Nightmares

_Sometimes, Stiles can tell when he's dreaming. Sometimes, he can tell when he's having a nightmare. Sometimes he can even tell when he's reliving his past in his sleep. This knowledge does nothing for him, though, because he can never wake himself up._

_He can tell he's having a nightmare when he looks at his hands and he realizes that he doesn't have ten fingers. And really, it just gets worse once he realizes he's not awake._

_Usually his bad dreams are memories of his life in his old universe like burning Peter to a crisp so he wouldn't terrorize them anymore or Jackson running around and paralyzing everyone or that monster killing everyone he loved for fun._

_It's usually that last one, but the other's like to make appearances._

_Right now he's running. He's running and he has no idea why but his instincts – the ones that have saved him from death countless times – are screaming at him to run, to get away, to leave this place. NOW._

_He's running so hard he can barely breathe and his entire body aches. _

_He feels keyed up beyond all reason and it scares him. It scares him more than anything in his new world has._

_He's running, but he doesn't seem to make any progress out of the woods he's surrounded in. All he wants is to get out of here. To be safe. To find Scott or Derek or even Isaac._

_He stumbles, but when he catches himself, he's not in the forest anymore. He's nowhere. _

_It's too bright and the light extends into what looks like forever. He looks down and his feet are surrounded in what looks like anemones around his feet, but no farther and a foot out or so._

_He takes a step out, and the flowers and grass seem to spring to life out of nothingness to give his foot something to land on._

_His instincts aren't telling him to leave, but he doesn't want to be here either._

_He opens his mouth and yells. He yells for his mother and Scott. He yells for Derek. He yells for Isaac and Talia. He yells for help. He just yells in general but there's no answer._

_He feels himself slipping into despair and as he falls to his knees, he realizes that the anemones are spreading around him._

_He recalls the creature that had killed all of his friends telling him he'd be left alone._

_Now he is._

_He yells again, desperate for someone to find him. _

_Once his throat is hoarse, he forces himself to stand through his fatigue and he starts running. He runs as far as he can, but the anemones at his feet and the light beyond it follow him everywhere._

_When he can't take anymore, he falls to his knees again and lets out a strangled, strained yell._

Stiles jerks awake and lays there, heart racing and covered in sweat.

When he's sure this isn't another dream, he presses the heels of his palms into his eyes and tries to control his breathing.

He glances at the clock on the room's nightstand that reads 2:16 a.m. in neon red numbers.

Too early to get up and do something then.

Especially with a rogue Alpha around town, killing people.

Stiles knows the only way he'll get to sleep is if he has another person next to him.

He throws the blankets off of himself and stands up. The brunet scrubs his hands over his face before making his way out of the room, his heart still beating a bit fast. He shuffles down the hall and lightly raps on Scott's door before peeking inside.

Inside, Scott and Isaac are tangled up in the bed in what looks like an increasingly uncomfortable position. Stiles wonders when and how that happened before sighing and making his way back towards 'his' room in the McCall house.

He stops short, just in front of the room Derek's staying in. Stiles wonders if it would be too forward to ask to sleep in the same room. In the same bed.

He walks up to the door and lightly knocks, whispering Derek's name. There's no response, so Stiles opens the door slightly, wincing when it creaks a bit, and stands awkwardly half inside the door.

"Derek are you awake?" He asks in a hushed tone.

There's no response again, so Stiles stands there awkwardly, debating on trying a third time.


	20. Extra: Derek 1

After almost two weeks of chauffeuring Stiles and his friends around wherever they want to go, Derek is done. Like, so fucking done he'll take a wolfsbane bullet right about now, thank you. He'd always been more mature than people his age – because he had to be what with his Werewolf powers – and being saddled with babysitting three teenagers was not Derek's idea of a fun time.

Okay, so they were really fucking entertaining but that didn't mean that Derek wanted to spend another two weeks with them after this. In fact, he doesn't want to see these idiots for a month after this. Except that isn't true either.

Derek thinks he's having more fun with these three kids than he's ever had with his pack. And then he feels really guilty about thinking that. He wonders if it's bad for him to think that he gets along with a group of teenagers better than his family. Better than his pack.

Derek groans and buries his head into the pillow, turning so his back is to the door. He can't sleep, and he's extremely restless. If there were no rampaging Alpha to take care of, he'd go for a run, but he'd rather not take the risk of dying.

There's shuffling in the hallway and Derek dismisses it when another door opens. He closes his eyes and debates getting up and making himself some tea.

Does Scott even have tea in his house? He doesn't think so.

There's more shuffling in the hallway that Derek tries to dismiss when he thinks he hears his name.

He listens for his name again, and he's shocked when the door opens behind him and Stiles – cute, awkward Stiles – calls his name again. Derek doesn't know what to do and he debates just ignoring the brunet so he'll go back to sleep.

But instead of leaving like a normal person would when they get no response, Stiles stands there.

That's when Derek smells it; anxiety and fear wrapped in sweat and saline.

Stiles had probably had a bad dream. A really bad one by the smell of it.

So Derek rolls over and halfway sits up.

"What?" He asks, and it comes out gruffer than he'd intended.

Stiles shuffles and Derek is going to punch him if he says 'never mind'.

"I…I had a bad dream and Scott's sharing his bed with Isaac and…" He stands there awkwardly, playing with the doorknob.

Derek lays there for a moment, waiting for Stiles to finish his statement, when it hits him what Stiles wants from him.

It's not like he hasn't shared his bed with his brother, so there shouldn't be a problem, really. He's even laid down with Stiles before. Only this is…different. Because it's two something in the morning? No. No, that's really not it.

_It's because you like him,_ Derek mind supplies.

"Fine, just hurry up and shut the door."

Stiles quickly shuts the door and makes his way over to the bed Derek has commandeered for the night. Derek thinks he'll try and squeeze onto the bed without touching Derek, but instead he lays practically on top of the Werewolf and leaves plenty of room at the edge.

"There's plenty of room over there, you know." He says before he can stop himself.

He feels Stiles shift before scooting away to where they're barely not touching.

"It's just…I have these bad dreams and the only thing that helps is physical contact."

Now Derek feels like an ass.

"What did you dream about?"

"I was…I think I was being chased. I had to get away but there wasn't anything around at all."

"You think it's a premonition?"

"God, I hope not." Stiles jokes, but there's no humor in his voice.

Derek doesn't know what to say to that so he quickly changes the subject. He get Stiles talking and before he knows it, he's drifting in and out of consciousness. He'd never been able to sleep with other people in the same room. It's hard enough to sleep in his own house when Laura is in the next room and snores like a chainsaw.

So it comes as a surprise when he jerks awake to a knock on 'his' door.

"You awake Derek?" Scott asks, cracking the door open.

"What?" Derek croaks, trying to look at the clock on the nightstand.

It's almost noon. Derek usually wakes up at eight in the morning whether he got enough sleep or not. Except for the day after the full moon; he usually sleeps all day, then. Derek pinches the bridge of his nose and looks back at Scott, who looks like a deer caught in headlights.

"What do you want, Scott?" He really just wants to roll over and fall asleep again, which he can't remember wanting to do ever.

"Well, this actually solves our problem," Isaac intones behind Scott.

"Y-Yeah, you guys just go back to sleep." Scott quickly closes the door.

Derek's mind reels at that. 'You guys?' What did that mean?

Something in the bed moves, and Derek is instantly tense. Looking down, Derek finds Stiles rolling over so he's facing the door. Derek quickly remembers that last night Stiles had come into his room asking for company but he can't, for the life of him, remember falling asleep.

Their stupid prom starts at eight so it's not like they have to get up right now and the thought of curling up in bed with Stiles sound increasingly good the more he thinks about it. Which scares him, more than he'd ever admit.

"Stiles, wake up." Stiles just lays there, blissfully unaware.

He's actually really cute like that, with his face at ease and his mouth slightly open. He's curled up on his side with his back to Derek, though, earlier he must have been facing Derek since he'd rolled over.

"Stiles, wake up." He says, this time a bit more firm.

Stiles jerks slightly when Derek puts his hand on his shoulder before sitting up and looking around in confusion.

He makes a noise of confusion, looking around before looking at Derek, "Wa' 's it?"

"It's already noon, we should get up."

Stiles looks confused and slightly angry and Derek shouldn't find that so fucking cute but he does.

"'S only noon?" He makes a noise of frustration as he flops back down onto the bed, pulling the covers up over his head.

"Scott was worried when he couldn't find you in your room." Derek tells him, sitting up straight and wrapping his arms around one of his legs as he pulls it up.

Stiles hums under the covers. Or maybe it's a grunt. Derek settles on a mix of the two.

Derek, himself, climbs over Stiles and out of bed. He'd brought pajamas but had foregone wearing the shirt since the McCall house ran a lot warmer than his own. He slips the shirt on for decency's sake – he's fairly certain he can hear Scott's mom downstairs in the kitchen complaining about pancakes.

Stiles remains unmoving in the bed and Derek's completely sure that Stiles' is snoring softly.

He can barely stand Laura's snoring when she's in a different room, how could he sleep through Stiles' snoring?

"Stiles, get up." He tries again.

There's a childish noise of denial from the Stiles burrito on the bed and Derek rolls his eyes. Instead of trying to wake him up with words, he takes the same approach that Cora requires.

Derek walks over to the bed and roots around under the blankets before he finds Stiles ankle and pulls him. Stiles hit the floor with a thump and a groan – Derek momentarily forgot that Stiles isn't as durable as Werewolves are and feels a little bad – before pulling the blankets from around his head to glare at Derek.

"Was that necessary?" Stiles demands.

"You weren't getting up."

Stiles groans and gets up, muttering something in another language that Derek doesn't understand. It sounds disgruntled and angry as he bunches up the blanket in his arms and throws it on the bed. The Fae glares at him some more as he storms out of the room.

Derek makes his way downstairs to the smell of burning and the sight of Melissa scrubbing furiously at a pan while Scott and Isaac hang their heads in shame.

Or they're feigning shame because the smiles on their faces are absolutely devious. Derek is confused for all of ten seconds before Stiles comes in behind him with a loud sigh.

"Again?" Stiles groans, walking into the kitchen and getting another pan from a cabinet.

"Sorry." Both boys try to sound apologetic but their grins negate it.

Stiles rolls his eyes before he sets out making 'breakfast', despite the fact that it's a little past noon. Derek watches as he moves about the kitchen as if it's second nature. Stiles jokes with Melissa as he cooks and Melissa tries to clean her nearly ruined pan.

Derek doesn't take his eyes off of Stiles until he hears Isaac snickering. Looking over, Scott looks just as confused as he is but Isaac looks like the cat who caught the canary. Derek narrows his eyes in question and when Isaac looks over at Stiles, Derek blushes at being caught.

He'd counted on Isaac being as oblivious as Scott is.

"Boys," Melissa interrupts their silent conversation, "You should start getting ready. Maybe take a shower." The last part is aimed at Scott, but Derek jumps at the chance to get out of the kitchen.

"I'll just go take one, then."


	21. Prom Night

The worst thing about Prom, for Stiles, is the incessantly loud, pounding music. He could hear it from down the block and he can only imagine how bad it has to be for Derek, Scott, and Isaac. It wouldn't be so bad, either, if it were decent music, but it's all misogynistic lyrics and repetitive beats and Stiles just can't get into it.

To be fair, he doesn't want to be here in the first place and he's probably looking for reasons to be miserable, but no one can blame him. He's been sitting in the damn chairs lining the Hall their prom is being held in and he hasn't left since he found a spot. Neither has Derek, who looks like he bit into a lemon and never let go.

Scott and Isaac are having a blast, music be damned, out on the dance floor together. Stiles is a bit jealous, considering he never got to have fun at his first Prom. What with Lydia shutting him down, and Peter – or the rogue Alpha from his time – attacking all of them, and basically everything going to shit that night.

Speaking of Lydia, he hasn't run into her or Danny yet, which is a good thing because he really doesn't want to have to explain why his date is so grumpy. Or why they hadn't danced to a single song.

Stiles is contemplating just leaving, despite his mothers' orders, when Scott and Isaac walk over and share the empty chair next to Derek.

"Why aren't you guys dancing?" Scott asks.

"I hate this song!" Stiles has trouble shouting over the music.

"You've been sitting here for an hour!"

"I still hate this song!"

"You guys should at least try to have fun!" Isaac shouts and Stiles is surprised that his voice can carry over the music.

"Yeah!" Scott agrees, smiling like the fucking sun.

Stiles tries to find a way out of having to dance, "I'm only dancing if Derek will."

Derek looks at him with his pinched expression before standing up, grabbing Stiles, and making his way over to the 'dance floor'.

"What are you doing?!" Stiles asks, trying to slow their advancement.

"I'm not going to have you blame me for being miserable at your own prom." Derek's voice easily carries over the music.

Stiles spends the next three songs begrudgingly dancing with Derek, who is actually pretty good at dancing believe it or not, before a song comes on that he even remotely likes. He feels more comfortable and starts really getting into the music.

Soon enough, Stiles has spent a good hour on the dance floor and the only reason he stops is because Derek looks like he's in a lot of pain. Stiles leads him out onto the 'patio' area that's been fenced off to give people a place the cool off in the night air.

Also, kids go there to make out sometimes.

Stiles guides Derek to a seat and practically has to lecture him into staying as he gets them both something to drink. He returns with two cups of punch to find Derek leaning back in his chair with his head resting on the back.

Out here, the music is muted, and Stiles is kind of grateful that the kids who threw Prom together had the smarts to add this. Stiles sits next to Derek and hands the werewolf his cup. Stiles sips out of his cup, gauging Derek.

He's not what he'd expected at all. Sure he was still Derek at his core, but he's more…open…in this universe than he'd ever been back in Stiles' world. He's quiet, withdrawn even, but not to the point where he's unwilling to talk to anyone. His people skills are the same, though he doesn't use them for manipulation like he'd seen the Derek from his world use those skills.

Stiles smiles to himself, glad that he could spare Derek the pain of losing his family.

"What are you smiling at?" Derek gripes, but remains unmoving.

"This and that." Stiles avoids the question, "You okay?"

"I think I'm experiencing a headache."

Stiles huffs out a laugh and reaches over to run a hand through Derek's hair. He calls up a bit of his light and sends it out, trying to sooth Derek's headache. Derek's hand, the one not holding his own cup, reaches up and grabs Stiles' wrist.

"You shouldn't be doing that."

Stiles gives Derek an unimpressed look, "So you can do it for me but I can't do it for you?"

"That's not the same."

"How?"

Derek flounders for a second, "You should be saving your power."

"This isn't even taking anything. Calm down."

Derek pins him with a look before letting go of Stiles' wrist. Stiles takes it as a go ahead, so he starts running his hand through Derek's hair again. The brunet shifts in his chair so he's facing Derek and his right leg is crossed over his left, with his ankle of his knee, and leans his elbow on the back of the chair so he can reach Derek's hair easier.

Derek slowly sips at his punch before commenting, "Punch is spiked."

"Good thing you can't get drunk, huh?"

Derek hums, leaning into Stiles' hand a little.

Stiles admires Derek's profile for a bit before the doors behind him open up with a bang and Lydia steps out into the night air. She's wearing a short dress that accentuates everything extremely well. Beside her is Danny, whose outfit accentuates everything right as well.

"There you are." Lydia walks over, her heels clicking away on the cement.

"Hello, Lydia." Stiles still feels so weird that Lydia has suddenly started talking to him.

Derek sits up more and stiles lets his hand drop away.

"So this is your date?" She drags one of the other chairs over so she can sit with them.

He wishes more than anything that he could communicate telepathically. Can he?

He'd have to try that.

"Yeah. Lydia, Danny, this is Derek Hale. Derek, this is Lydia Martin and Danny Māhealani."

"Hello." Derek greets, fiddling with his cup.

"My, you weren't lying when you said he was attractive, Stiles."

"Shocking." Comes out of his mouth before he can stop himself.

"Why aren't you inside dancing?" Derek asks them.

"Because my failure of an ex-boyfriend won't stop glaring at me for having _the audacity_ to show up."

Derek looks away, obviously uncomfortable being included in the conversation and regretting his attempt at conversation.

"I was actually about to head back inside. You gonna be alright out here, Lydia?" Danny asks her.

He gets a look that asks if he's serious in return.

Danny just laughs and makes his way inside with a wave over his shoulder and a 'it was nice to meet you' at Derek.

Which leaves him and Derek alone. With Lydia. One of the most intimidating women he's ever known. Except the Argent women, but Kate was psychotic and Allison was far too skilled with weapons for his liking.

"So how are your classes going, Stiles?" Lydia asks him with a look on her face that is equal parts intimidating and calculating.

"Fine. You know. Same old, same old."

Which was true. He'd already learned all of this.

"You should take harder classes senior year." She tells him.

"I'd really rather not."

"I know you're smarter than I am, which is saying something, so why aren't you proving it?"

Stiles snorts, "Lydia, if I were smarter than you, you'd be Valedictorian. Besides, you know like four different languages. I know two"

She's about to retort when Derek sits up ramrod straight. He's alert, listening. If he were a dog, his ears would be parked.

"Lydia, I think you should go inside now."

Lydia looks like he told her that her dress was disgusting.

Stiles instantly stands up and pulls her along with him. Derek follows them inside and Lydia tears her arm away from Stiles.

"What the hell?!" She almost snarls.

"Trust me, Lydia, don't go outside. Not yet. Please." Stiles turns around to see Derek heading over to Scott, but Isaac is nowhere to be found.

Stiles sends out a little pulse and is relieved to find Isaac at the refreshment table. He pushes his way through and drags Isaac over to Derek.

Derek tells them what he smelled. The Alpha. Here.

"Try not to let anyone outside."

"Bad news!" Isaac has to yell over the song, "Jackson just went outside with his date."

Stiles curses. As much as he hates Jackson, letting him get turned and killed just wasn't an option, no matter how much he wished it was.

"Which door?"

Isaac points over to the double doors that lead out to the lacrosse field and Stiles manages to catch Lydia heading out the door.

"Shit!" He rushes forward with the Werewolves at his heels.

He sends out a pulse to his mom, who was just under a half mile away with Talia, to let her know the Alpha was around.

They were on their way.

They run through the double doors to see Lydia in the center of the lacrosse field with Jackson Whitmore and some girl Stiles doesn't know.

He thinks her name's Malinda or something, but he doesn't know.

Before any of them can make a move, Stiles sees the eyes of the Alpha in the woods on the other side of the field.

"Lydia!" Stiles runs forward, just as the Alpha leaps.

It lands on Jackson, knocking the dick onto the floor and launches at Lydia. She screams as it collides with her.

Derek is tackling the Alpha before Stiles has a chance to use his light, so Stiles runs forward and grabs Lydia. Hauling her to her feet, he looks over to see Jackson unconscious and Malinda running off towards the parking lot.

That gets the Alpha's attention more than Derek.

It wants prey it can chase.

Stiles sends out his light, smacking it directly into the Alpha's head, making it stumble, as well as letting his mother know they made contact.

He can feel her nearby, seconds away from the parking lot.

He turns to look at Lydia, but before he can say anything, something slams into his side and knocks the breath out of him.

Lydia screams – not like she should…or…not like she does in his world – and Stiles tries to get the things attacking him off.

But the thing attacking him is Isaac. His eyes are completely red. Not the red like an Alpha's glow, but red like bloodshot and Stiles knows that the Alpha is trying to control Isaac.

Not so much trying as succeeding. And if Isaac was affected, then so was Scott.

Stiles looks over slightly and sees Derek easily fending off Scott.

Stiles doesn't want to hurt Isaac, but if it comes down to his life or Isaac's, he's going to choose his own life. Well…that probably wasn't true. No, that definitely wasn't true. But his life over Isaac's comfort? Definitely his life.

He pushes out a blast of his light, knocking Isaac into the air and away from him. He pushes himself up and hisses in pain. Isaac had gotten his arm with his claws.

Thank Oberon he can't be turned or die from that.

Car alarms sound in the parking lot, startling Stiles. Lydia calls out for him and he turns back to Isaac, who is rushing at him.

'_Fuck this,'_ Stiles thinks to himself and summons a handful of Mountain Ash into his hand. The second Isaac is close enough, Stiles blows it into his face, forcing the Werewolf to stumble back.

Making sure he won't get anywhere near him while like this, Stiles throws out a Mountain Ash circle around him. Then proceeds to separate the other two Were's and do the same to Scott.

That when Talia and his mother come around the corner from the parking lot to them.

Talia rushes over to Derek and makes sure he's okay. Stiles thinks she might try to rip Scott and Isaac to pieces but the scowl on her face. He looks around and Lydia is nowhere. He panics. She'd been right here not moments before but he can't find her anywhere. He's too tired to search with his light.

'_Where could she have gone?'_


End file.
